Galway hold out for win against Leitrim

Galway held out for a 0-13 to 1-9 win over Leitrim in an entertaining Connacht FBD League clash which ended in some controversy at Carrick-on-Shannon.

Leitrim had midfielder Michael Duignan sent off for a second yellow card, eight minutes into the second half, but none of the reporters assembled at the game had any record of Duignan receiving an initial booking.

There was also confusion towards the end of the game as many spectators believed that Declan Maxwell had scored a late point for Leitrim. It immediately went up on the scoreboard but much to the amazement of many in the ground, the score was signalled wide by the umpire.

In Liam Sammon's second competitive game as manager, Galway were 0-7 to 0-2 ahead after 19 minutes' play. Declan Meehan, David Ward, Fiachra Breathnach and Mark Lydon had all found the target for the Tribesmen.

Leitrim cut the gap to 0-9 to 0-5 by the interval but Michael Meehan, who top-scored with 0-6, gave the visitors a double scores advantage when he converted a free within two minutes of the restart.

The Galway lead was cut to two points, with ten minutes remaining, after James Glancy shot over from play and Emlyn Mulligan converted a free.

But Sammon's men made victory secure after that when Declan Meehan and Breathnach found the range from a free and from play respectively.

An Emlyn Mulligan penalty conversion cut Galway's winning margin to the minimum before the end, while prior to that Galway's Darren Mullahy and Kieran Fitzgerald were dismissed on second yellow card offences.

This was Galway's second win of the FBD League and puts them in control of Section B ahead of their final game at home to GMIT next weekend.

Sligo opened their win account in the FBD League by overcoming a battling GMIT side at Markievicz Park. The Connacht champions conceded two first half goals and trailed by 2-3 to 0-8 at half-time.

But after a string of points, Sean Davey played in Kenneth Sweeney for Sligo's first goal. Mark Breheny then sent over his third point of the afternoon before Dermot McTernan slotted home the hosts' second major.

GMIT rallied with four unanswered points, however Sligo, who brought Eamon O'Hara on off the bench, held firm for a one-point win.

In Section A, Mayo also recorded their first win of the competition against Sligo IT. Leading 0-6 to 0-3 at half-time in Charlestown, John O'Mahony's side finished up as 1-11 to 1-6 winners.

NUI Galway chalked up their second win to pull clear at the top of the table. The students, who face Sligo IT at Ballinode next Sunday, scored a 0-16 to 1-8 victory over Roscommon at Dangan today.