Galway 2-16
Sligo 2-12
Leitrim's win over Mayo might feel like the story of the night in the Connacht U-20 football championship, but the large band of supporters that made their way to Tuam Stadium for the meeting of Galway and Sligo were also treated to a memorable evening’s football, with scintillating attacking play and a real championship edge.
Galway had any number of attacking weapons, with all six starting forwards scoring from play over the course of the hour, but Sligo had more than enough possession and goal chances to pick up a win and deal a deadly blow to the Tribesmen’s chances in what is a wide open provincial campaign.
In the end however, three attempts onto the crossbar, one goal effort from 12 metres out dragged wide and another blasted over the bar meant that the reigning provincial champions are now bottom of the round robin table, while Galway’s campaign has been re-energised after their anaemic showing against Mayo a week ago.
There was nothing anaemic about tonight’s game, at any stage. It made for fantastic viewing, with both sides throwing themselves into physical challenges – facilitated by an inobtrusive refereeing performance from John Glavey – and some incredible quality up front.
Points from Conor Flynn, Conor Walsh and Ross Doherty, as well as a 45 from Eli Rooney, had the visitors into an early 0-04 to 0-02 lead, but Matthew Thompson was a constant threat for the home side and he kicked two marks to level the game, part of a five-point first half haul for the Salthill-Knocknacarra player.
A clever controlled break of a high ball into the path of Walsh allowed the Sligo wing forward to rattle the top corner of the net for the game’s first goal in the 16th minute, but Galway’s response to that score was exemplary, as they outscored Sligo by 1-07 to 0-02 in the run to half-time.
Conor Henaghan got their goal after Thompson dispossessed Sligo goalkeeper Ethan Carden to set up the opportunity, while Colm Costello, Ciarán Mulhern and impressive midfielder Shay McGlinchey put their names on some magnificent points for the Tribesmen.
Ronan Niland scored twice to keep Sligo in the game at 1-11 to 1-06 at half-time, but they could have been much closer, with Conor Sheridan’s pulled ground shot their biggest missed opportunity.
That felt fatal when Ronan Colleran floated an immaculate long delivery into the bread basket of Colm Costello and the Dunmore player gave the move the finish it deserved to push the lead out to eight points after the break, but Sligo rallied, and once Niland took advantage of some defensive hesitancy to slap the ball past Eamon McGrath, they were back within four and well in the game.
Tackles were flying in, restarts were hotly-contested and Sligo won more than their fair share of these battles, but Galway kept picking off points and the third goal Sligo needed just wouldn’t come.
Conor Sheridan met a high ball with a punch on the edge of the small square but the ball hit the crossbar on the way over, while Conor Walsh will feel that he could have done better with his effort after being set up by Tommy Ross, even though the ball fizzing over the bar meant that momentum continued in Sligo’s favour.
For Galway, Thompson was the star of the first half but Ronan Colleran stepped up in the second, kicking two crucial points and generally controlling the play for Derek Savage’s side, with Thompson popping up in stoppage time to kick what was effectively an insurance point to seal his side’s second win of this campaign.
Galway: Eamon McGrath; Shane Canavan, Brian Noone, Darragh Costello; Mark Mannion, Luc O’Connor, Jack Folan; Jack Lonergan, Shay McGlinchey (0-01); Ciaran Mulhern (0-02), Ronan Colleran (0-02), Conor Heneghan (1-01); Matthew Thompson (0-06, 0-02 marks, 0-01 free), Colm Costello (1-02), Cian Murphy (0-02).
Subs: Luc O’Connor for Mannion (41), Jack Mullen for Murphy (55), Darragh Walsh for McGlinchey (59), Cormac Greaney for Colleran (60).
Sligo: Ethan Carden; Conor Johnston, Tommy Ross, Ross Chambers; Rian O’Callaghan, Dylan McLoughlin, Rossa Sloyan; Conor Sheridan (0-01), Ross Doherty (0-02); Conor Walsh (1-02), Ronan Niland (1-02), James Donlon; Conor Flynn (0-01), Luke Marren, Eli Rooney (0-03, 0-01 45).
Subs: Mark McDaniel (0-01, free) for Niland (39), Robert O’Kelly Lynch for Marren (41), Dillon Walsh for Flynn (41), Eoin Barrett for Sloyan (47), Daire Callaghan for Rooney (56).
Referee: John Glavey
In Ballinamore, Leitrim scored three goals on route to a stunning 3-12 to 0-16 win over Mayo.
The home side led 1-06 to 0-08 at the break, Ben Guckian's ninth minute goal from close range making the difference.
A second would follow from Paul Moran on 35 minutes after claiming a high ball under pressure from the Mayo goalkeeper, before Jack Casey finished into an empty net for goal number three after the ball had come off the crossbar.
It sealed Leitrim's first win of the Connacht campaign, having lost their opener to Galway on 20 March.
In the Ulster Championship, Derry picked up a 1-11 to 2-06 win over Monaghan in Castleblaney.
Johnny McGuckian scored the first goal of the match for Derry after 15 minutes before Bobby McCaul responded for Monaghan five minutes later to leave the scores at 1-02 apiece.
The second Monaghan goal would arrive with two minutes of play remaining via Aaron Carey to leave them trailing by a point but Derry got an extra insurance score from Oisin Doherty to secure a two-point win.
Elsewhere in section A, a goal hungry Down overcame Antrim by a 5-08 to 1-06 scoreline in Dunsilly.
But it required a superb second-half surge from the Mournemen, having trailed by 1-04 to 0-03 at the interval.
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