Sligo claim rare Connacht title

Sligo picked up their first Connacht senior football title since 1975, condemning favourites Galway to the qualifiers with a …

Sligo picked up their first Connacht senior football title since 1975, condemning favourites Galway to the qualifiers with a memorable 1-10 to 0-12 win at Hyde Park.

Galway's All-Ireland credentials were left hanging by a thread as Sligo were sharper, hungrier and fully merited the win.

Sligo veteran Eamonn O'Hara, who was forced off with a knee injury early in the second-half, was the Sligo hero, putting in an all action display while his stunning first-half goal swung the momentum in favour of the home side.

Sligo started brightly, notching  a couple of early scores, before Galway hit back with five unanswered points to get their noses in front.  But that proved Galway's only real purple patch and while they kept the scoreboard ticking over in the half, they never really got into their stride and Sligo, with the help of O'Hara's goal, led by 1-7 to 0-9 at the interval.

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The second-half was a cagey affair, both sides guilty of wasting possession and squandering opportunities. Sligo, for all their possession, were unable to kick crucial scores while Galway, who went fully 25 minutes between scores, looked in disarray.

Elsewhere, Fermanagh are through to the second round of the qualifying series following a 1-12 to 1-8 win over Wexford in Clones. Derry and Armagh are currently in action in the final qualifier of the weekend.