Connacht SFC: Tribe too strong for Sligo
June 21, 2014
Galway's Gary O'Donnell with David Kelly of Sligo.
©INPHO/James Crombie.
Galway 0-16
Sligo 0-11
Galway will face old rivals Mayo in the Connacht SFC final after overcoming a wasteful Sligo side at sun-splashed Markievicz Park.
Impressive performances from midfielder Fiontan O Curraoin and attackers Shane Walsh and Danny Cummins helped the Tribesmen to their first Nestor Cup decider in five years. In the first football championship match to be broadcast live by Sky Sports, the winners held a slender 0-9 to 0-8 lead at the end of a high-tempo first half before finally stamping their authority on proceedings in the second period.
David Kelly and Michael Lundy traded early points before Adrian Marren edged the home side into a 0-2 to 0-1 lead. Danny Cummins then took centre stage with a brace of points before Marren levelled the scoring for a third time.
The sides exchanged points again before two-in-a-row from Shane Walsh and Michael Martin (free) put two between them for the first time. Shane McManus narrowed the gap, only for Cummins to fist Galway into a 0-7 to 0-5 lead.
Pat Hughes left the minimum in it after 28 minutes before Eddie Hoare restored the visitors' two-point advantage. Damien Comer, who was a late replacement for former Kildare star James Kavanagh, then had a penalty appeal turned down in the 32nd minute.
Walsh made it a three-point game with a great score on the run, but Sligo finished the half strongly with scores from Mark Breheny and Marren to trail by one at the break. But for eight wides, compared to three for Galway, the Yeatsmen would have been ahead.
Eddie Hoare put Galway two ahead on the restart before Breheny fisted over when a goal was there for the taking. That proved to be a turning point as Walsh nailed a '45' and followed up with a free from the hands to push the visitors into a 0-12 to 0-9 lead after 47 minutes.
Walsh, who was one of the stars of Galway's All-Ireland U21 success last year, sent over another point via the inside of the post before sub Kevin McDonald got one back for Sligo.
But Galway continued to dictate the pace as Michael Martin teed up Danny Cummins for another point and Damien Comer also split the posts to make it 0-15 to 0-10.
Another sub, Niall Murphy, pointed for the hosts before Walsh completed the scoring from a free.
Galway - M Breathnach; D O'Neill, F Hanley, A Tierney; G Bradshaw, G O'Donnell, P Varley; F O Curraoin, T Flynn; M Lundy (0-1), S Walsh (0-6, 2f, 1'45), D Comer (0-1); M Martin (0-2, 1f), E Hoare (0-2), D Cummins (0-4). Subs: P Conroy for E Hoare, A Varley for M Martin, S Armstrong for D Cummins, J O'Brien for D Comer, C Mulryan for M Lundy.
Sligo - A Devaney; R Donovan, J Martyn, N Ewing; C Harrison, A McIntyre, K Cawley; J Kilcullen, S McManus (0-1); D Rooney, M Breheny (0-2), B Egan; P Hughes (0-1), A Marren (0-4, 1sl, 2f), D Kelly (0-1). Subs: B Curran for C Harrison, K McDonnell (0-1) for S McManus, N Murphy (0-1) for D Rooney, S Coen for P Hughes, G Ryan for J Martyn, E McHugh for M Breheny.
Referee - M Deegan.
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