ESB Connacht Minor Championship – Round 2

ESB Connacht Minor Championship – Round 2

Sligo 3 – 9
Leitrim 1 – 7

Leitrim, who shot fourteen wides as against Sligos six over the course of the game, bowed out of the Connacht Minor championship after a second half collapse in Kilcoyne Park, Tubbercurry on Monday evening.

Sligo employed a two man full-forward line of Vincent Frizzel and Luke McDonagh to good effect in the final fifteen minutes of this game when they blew Leitrims challenge out of the water. It was a tactic that Leitrim very much failed to counter to their cost.

After a quite a physical set of exchanges in the opening eight minutes, Sligo managed to register the games opening score when Padraig Clarke shot over. But Leitrim got on level terms three minutes later when Philip McGourty dashed down-field on a fine run from his centre back berth and fired over.

Leitrim dominated the exchanges for the next eleven minutes when Shane Flanagan put over two frees that were awarded for fouls on Sean McKeon. Vincent Frizzel shot a 25th minute Sligo point from play that reduced Leitrims lead to the minimum.
Mark Beirne replied with a similar Leitrim score seven minutes later. However a Padraig Clarke goal on the stroke of halftime put Sligo on top and probably changed the course of the game.
The home side led by 1 – 2 to 0 – 4 at the break but Shane Flanagan levelled matters within two minutes of the restart when he tapped over a Leitrim free. However Sligo regained the lead within the space of another minute when an unmarked David Maye blasted to the Sligo net.
Leitrim fought back over the next two minutes and went back in front after Shane Flanagan put over another free and sub Niall Clancy hammered home a well-takenÓgoal soccer style. Sligo got back on level terms by the 38th minute after Barry OBoyle fired over a point.
The stalemate was maintained over the next five minutes with Niall OConnor hitting over a Leitrim point and Vincent Frizzel answering for Sligo in a similar manner. However a long range Sligo point that Padraig Clarke shot at the end of the third quarter initiated a rout of Leitrim during the remainder of the action.

Sligo went on to add a further unanswered 1 – 4 to their tally in this period. Man-of-the-match, David Maye hit a goal and two points during this spell and Vincent Frizzel added two points.
Galway will be Sligos Connacht quarter-final opponents in two weeks time.

Sligo: Bryan McGovern, Barry Kelly, Conor Davey, Mark Herrity, Sean Cawley, DarrenÓgilsenan, Darren McManus, James Clarke, Niall McDonagh, Barry OBoyle 0 – 1, David Maye 2 – 2(1f.), Stephen Maher, Luke McDonagh, Padraig Clarke, 1 – 2, Vincent Frizzel 0 – 4.

Subs Brendan Coleman for Cawley (20 mins.), David Reilly for Coleman (31 mins.), Gary Cawley for OReilly (56 mins.), Brian Harris for Frizzel (59 mins.).

Leitrim: Philip Farrelly, Jim McTague, Sean McWeeney, James OBrien, Ciaran Egan, Philip McGourty 0 – 1, Morgan Quinn, Emmet Mahon, Niall OConnor 0 – 1, Eoin Ward, Sean McKeon, Kevin Conlan, Sean McNabola, Mark Beirne 0 – 1, Shane Flanagan 0 – 4(4f.).

Subs Niall Clancy 1 – 0 for McNabola (20 mins.), Seamus Mulvihill for Conlan (HT), Paul Hackett for McKeon (52 mins.), Shane Ryan for McTague (60 mins.).

Referee: Pat McGovern (Galway).

 

(Thanks to PJ Leddy for providing this report) 

 

 

06-May-08 by PJ Leddy