Sligo are the first team through to the last-ever Connacht U21 football final after battling to a 1-13 to 0-13 victory over Roscommon in testing conditions at Kiltoom.

Jodie O'Reilly netted the decisive score in the 47^th minute and winning captain Darragh Cummins was Man of the Match as Paul Taylor's side booked a provincial final date with either Mayo or Galway on Saturday, April 1st.

Playing with wind advantage in the first half, the losers built up a 0-6 to 0-4 interval lead, with their captain Hubert Darcy registering half of their opening-period scores from placed balls. But Sligo turned around more than happy to remain within touch and they kicked on impressively when the action resumed.

Centre forward John Gannon opened the scoring for the hosts and the Rossies also hit a few wides before Paddy O'Connor tied the scores up from an eighth-minute free. Midfielder Darcy's free restored Roscommon's advantage but opposing No.14 O'Connor replied in kind within 60 seconds.

Stephen Connolly edged the Yeats men in front for the first time on 13 minutes and Shane Mannion executed a terrific save to deny O'Reilly a Sligo goal before Darcy's second converted free tied the scores up again in the 16^th minute.

Jamie Fahy fired the Rossies back in front and Darcy swung over another free seven minutes from the break as a two-point gap materialised for the first time. Cian McKeon made it double scores but O'Connor's free on the stroke of the short whistle kept the visitors in contention at the break.

O'Connor halved the deficit within seconds of the restart but goalkeeper Mannion responded only for a Cummins brace to tie the scores up after 35 minutes - 0-7 each. Scores from Calry/St Joseph's ace Cummins and Liam Gaughan had Sligo ahead after McKeon had restored Roscommon's advantage for the last time and midfielder Cummins' fourth second-half point made it 0-10 to 0-8 after 40 minutes.

O'Reilly left three between them and the Geevagh clubman then doubled the gap with the match-clinching goal at the start of the fourth quarter - 1-11 to 0-8. Frees from Darcy and McKeon (2) reduced the Rossies' arrears to three with six minutes left…

Substitute Jason Perry lofted over the insurance point and Brian Stack replied on the stroke of full time to set up a nervy finish with six minutes of injury time to come. Sean Carrabine pointed in the third added minute to leave four in it once more and there was no way back for the home team as Sligo claimed a historic victory.

Sligo - D Cafferkey; E McGuinness, L Nicholson, M Gordon; G O'Kelly Lynch, P McNamara, S Power; D Cummins (0-4), P Kilcoyne; A McLoughlin, L Gaughan (0-1), S Connolly (0-1); K Cawley, P O'Connor (0-4f), J O'Reilly (1-1). Subs: S Carrabine (0-1) for S Connolly, J Perry (0-1) for A McLoughlin, N Mullen for E McGuinness, F Cawley for P Kilcoyne, K Banks for J O'Reilly, M Clarke for J Perry (BC).

Roscommon - S Mannion (0-1f); J Connaughton, K Beirne, M Richardson; S Conroy, A Lyons, L Daly; G Keenan, H Darcy (0-5f); B Stack (0-1), J Gannon (0-1), C Payne; B Kelly, C McKeon (0-4, 3f), J Fahy (0-1). Subs: J Featherston for G Keenan, C Callinan for J Fahy, A Brogan for J Gannon, T Butler for C Payne, D Connaughton for L Daly.

Referee - J Henry.

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