Galway 0-13 Sligo 0-14
Supersub Dillon Walsh was the hero for Sligo as he fisted over the winning point deep into stoppage time as Sligo retained the Connacht U-20 title with a thrilling 0-14 to 0-13 win over Galway at Tuam Stadium.
It's the first time ever a Sligo team has retained a Connacht title in any grade and they were good value for their win as they came from behind to shoot the closing three points of a brilliant contest.
The Tribesmen dominated the opening quarter and raced into a three-point lead after just six minutes with efforts from Cillian Ó Curraoin, Jake Slattery and Matthew Thompson as the champions struggled to get a foothold.
Matt Henry got them off the mark after 10 minutes, but there was a big blow for the Eastern Harps man after 23 minutes, who was outstanding in last week's semi-final win over Mayo, when he limped off.
By then. Galway had pushed the lead out to 0-05 to 0-01 with further points from Ó Curraoin and Slattery, but Henry’s replacement Joshua Flynn wasted little time in making an impact when he kicked a good point after wing-back Dylan Walsh had come forward to score.
Luke Marren followed with a brace of frees to tie the game at 0-05 apiece approaching the break, but Galway finished the half strongly with a pointed mark from Sean Birmingham and another free from Ó Curraoin before Marren’s third point cut the gap to 0-07 to 0-06 at the interval.
The hosts got the opening two points of the second half, but Sligo hit back and landed the next five, with Marren kicking three and Flynn getting his second before Daire O’Boyle made it 0-11 to 0-9 going into the final quarter.
Both goalkeepers, Sligo’s Ethan Carden and James Egan of Galway, produced a string of saves to keep their sides in it before Galway got on top again and struck for four without reply.
Ó Curraoin supplied two of them and Charlie Power and sub Maidhc Mac Gearailt also hit the target as they looked set to claim the title heading into injury-time.
But Sligo hit back and Marren and O’Boyle kicked points to tie the game.
And then with extra-time looming, sub Walsh went forward and kept his nerve to fist over the winning point in a dramatic finish to a cracking contest.
Sligo: Ethan Carden; Ross Chambers, Conor Johnston, Luke Casserly; Dylan Walsh (0-01), Dylan McLoughlin, Rossa Sloyan; Conor Sheridan, Canice Mulligan; Mark McDaniel, Ronan Niland, Ross Doherty; Luke Marren (0-07, 0-04f), Daire O’Boyle (0-02), Matt Henry (0-01).
Subs: Joshua Flynn (0-02) for Henry (23), Dillon Walsh (0-01) for McDaniel (41), James Kiernan for Doherty (47), Brian Byrne for Niland (60).
Galway: James Egan; Luc O’Connor, Éanna Donohue, Colm MacDonncha; Bernard Coen, Brian Cogger, Jack Folan; Patrick Egan, Sam O’Neill; Matthew Thompson (0-01), Cillian Ó Curraoin (0-06, 0-04f, 0-01 ’45), Fergal Ó Sé; Charlie Power (0-01), Seán Birmingham (0-01m), Jake Slattery (0-03).
Subs: Michael Moughan for Coen (45), Jack Lonergan for Folan (47), Maidhc Mac Gearailt (0-01) for Ó Se (49), Daithi Kilcommins for Thompson (60).
Referee: Liam Devenney (Mayo).
