Sligo stun Mayo with second-half comeback in Connacht U20 Football Championship
SLIGO STUNNER: Mayo’s John MacMonagle in action against Galway's Padraic Godwin in the U-20 championship at McHale Park, Castlebar will be facing Sligo. Photo: Ray Ryan
Defending champions Sligo produced a stunning second half comeback to power into the semi-finals of the Connacht Under-20 football championship at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar.
Mayo’s second defeat of the round-robin stages means the crash out of this ultra-competitive championship while Paul Henry's Sligo will now face Galway in the last four next Wednesday.
The homeside looked set to book their ticket to the knock-out stages when they led at half-time by four points, but Peadar Gardiner’s team lost their way in the second half and were outscored by 0-11 to 0-2 as Sligo took complete control.
Luke Marren, whose late penalty had salvaged a draw against Leitrim a week earlier, shot six points during Sligo’s second half surge while Eli Rooney came off the bench to land two superb scores during his cameo.
James Donlon (2) and centre-back Dylan McLoughlin also hit the target for the Yeats County as they dominated all over the field and took full advantage of Mayo’s failure to convert a plethora of chances.
It was the quintessential game of two halves as wind-assisted Mayo came flying out of the blocks to lead by 0-4 to 0-0 after ten minutes.
With former county senior manager, James Horan, among their coaching team, the homeside played with purpose and pace and scores from Oisin Cronin (2), Niall Hurley and Conal Dawson put them in the driving seat.
It took Sligo 12 minutes to open their account through Ronan Niland while Conor Flynn (a mark) and Mark McDaniel also managed to raise white flags for the visitors before the break.
But, despite starting with 10 of the team that also started last year’s All-Ireland Under-20 final defeat to Kildare, Sligo were struggling to make much headway against a strong wind.
Mayo were also having issues converting chances into scores at the other end, but they did manage to pick off scores from Niall Hurley, Darragh Beirne and Tom O’Flaherty to lead by 0-7 to 0-3 at the short whistle.
It turned out to be a lead that only lasted for 14 minutes of the second period as Sligo came roaring back into contention with points from Luke Marren (3, two frees), James Donlon and Dylan McLoughlin to draw level.
The holders went ahead for the first time on 46 minutes when Marren drilled a fine effort from play and they never looked back from there to the finish.
A black card for Liam Maloney in the closing stages compounded Mayo’s woes.
L Marren (0-6, 3fs), J Donlon, E Rooney (0-2 each), D McLoughlin, R Niland, M McDaniel, C Flynn (1m) (0-1each).
O Cronin, N Hurley (0-2 each), S Morahan, T O'Flaherty, C Dawson, F McLaughlin, D Beirne (0-1 each).
E Carden; R Chambers, C Johnston, T Ross; R O’Hehir, D McLoughlin, R Sloyan; C Sheridan, R Doherty; C Walsh, R Niland, J Donlon; M McDaniel, L Marren, C Flynn.
D Walsh for Chambers; E Barrett for C Walsh; E Rooney for Flynn; D Callaghan for Donlon.
D Dolan; R Mortimer, J MacMonagle, D Slattery; D Duffy, S Morahan, T O’Flaherty; J Melvin, C Dawson; F McLaughlin, C Keaveney, O Cronin; D Beirne, N Hurley, D Reilly.
L Maloney for Slattery; T Lydon for McLaughlin; B Collins for Dawson; P Gilmore for O’Flaherty; L Moore for Cronin.
J Molloy (Galway).
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