Sligo 1-9
Mayo 1-7

Sligo knocked holders Mayo out of the Connacht minor football championship this afternoon to book their first final berth in the competition in four years.

Adam Gallagher’s goal on the eve of half-time proved crucial for the Yeats men as they held on for a sweet victory at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence in Bekan.

The points of Mark Gibbon and Cian McHale (3) helped Mayo to lead by 0-4 to 0-3 at the first water break and they’d be two in front after Sam Callinan and McHale (free) sailed over scores to outweigh one from Ciaran O’Reilly.

Dylan Walsh pulled back a point for Sligo on the half-hour mark and in the very next attack they’d hit the jackpot, with Gallagher supplying the cool finish which saw them lead by 1-5 to 0-6 at the break.

McHale (free) narrowed the gap down to one early in the restart but Luke Marren and Walsh (free) kept the wind in the Yeats men’s sails and points via O’Reilly and Marren would stretch their lead to five with 10 minutes remaining.

Callinan grabbed a goal for Mayo in the 58th minute to put heat on the leaders heading into injury-time, but the holders wouldn’t score again as they bowed out in this upset.

Sligo’s prize now is a date with Roscommon, whom defeated Galway two days' ago, on the weekend of January 9/10 when they will bid for their first Connacht MFC crown since 1968.

Sligo - J Lundy; L Casserly, R Kelly, J Kiernan; Z Mahon, C O’Reilly (0-2), M Hegarty; D O’Boyle, B Byrne; D Foy, L Marren (0-3), C Mulligan; D Walsh (0-3f), C Oates, A Gallagher (1-1).

Mayo - B O’Flaherty; C McHale, F Kelly, M MacEvilly; S Dempsey, R Hughes, C Boland; S Callinan (1-1), B Tuohy; D Cosgrove, C McHale (0-5, 3f), C Donohue; C Bourke, E Hughes, M Gibbons (0-1).

Referee - T Murphy.

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