Sligo have enough to finish the job

A SLIGO collapse or a Galway revival? Those are the two theories competing to explain the remarkable turnaround in Pearse Stadium last Sunday afternoon, when a 1-8 to 0-2 interval advantage for Sligo morphed into a 1-10 apiece draw at the final whistle.

Ultimately, it was a little bit of both. Sligo retreated too much into a defensive shell in the second-half and could have benefited more from positioning Eamonn O’Hara around the middle as a spare man, rather than planting him just in front of his full-back line.

Galway’s performance was horribly out of sync in the opening half yet it surely cannot be as littered with faults again. Micheal Meehan’s return clearly gives their attack greater potency and Joe Bergin’s switch to midfield will hopefully help arrest the alarming dip in fortunes they endured there. There can be some credibility attached to the theory espoused by the Galway camp that the eight-week break of inactivity counted against them last Sunday and they should be sharper this week.

The general trait experienced by underdogs in replays is to succumb and wind up ruing the chance they spurned in the drawn game. But that fate will not automatically befall Sligo. They have become a more seasoned outfit and are mentally stronger under Kevin Walsh. There is a quality to their football as well in Keelan Cawley impressing at wing-back, Tony Taylor and Stephen Gilmartin lording matters at midfield and David Kelly in devastating form at corner-forward.

Galway’s decision not to switch Kelly’s marker last Sunday was curious but also suggests they lack a defender who can stay with the Sligo speedster. If Colm McGee and Mark Breheny can chip in more on the scoreboard too it would be vital and overall Sligo have the wherewithal to finish off the job this time.

Verdict: Sligo