Sligo to face Leitrim in FBD League final
Sligo and Leitrim will contest the Connacht FBD League final after the completion of the group stages of the competition this afternoon.
The two counties will bid to follow in the footsteps of last year's winners Mayo when they meet in the decider next Sunday, with the venue and throw-in time to be confirmed at the meeting of the Connacht GAA Competitions Control Committee tomorrow.
At Ballinamore, Leitrim continued their unbeaten start to the new season with a 0-10 to 1-6 victory over GMIT, their third FBD League win.
The students were 1-3 to 0-5 ahead at half-time, aided by a goal from Leitrim native Conor Kelly, but the hosts prevailed in a well-contested second half.
Cian Reynolds, who transferred from Kildare, had his first outing for Leitrim and second half substitutes Ray Cox, Paul Brennan and Adrian Croal also had an impact as the county side.
Indeed, Croal kicked the match-winning point with three minutes remaining after John Ryan had briefly brought GMIT level with a free.
Sligo ensured that they qualified from Section A by defeating Galway on a 0-9 to 1-4 scoreline for their third straight win in Enniscrone.
Mark Breheny (0-4) and Brian Egan (0-3) were the scoring stars for the Yeats men with Kenneth Sweeney and Shane McManus also raising white flags. Brian Curran also turned in an accomplished display from wing back.
Galway had started the game in impressive fashion with a well-taken 17th-minute goal from Danny Cummins which moved them 1-2 to 0-1 ahead.
But the Tribesmen, despite the presence of substitute Michael Meehan, wasted a plethora of scoring chances - they kicked ten wides in all and endured a 40-minute spell during which they failed to score.
Alan Mulholland's charges also had to cope with the sending-off of wing back Gary O'Donnell for a second bookable offence in the 55th minute.
Sean Armstrong scored a late brace of points but when Niall Coleman's goal-bound shot was saved by Sligo goalkeeper Philip Greene, it was clear that it was the home side's day. McManus made certain of that with the clinching point in injury-time.
Mayo and Roscommon played out a 0-10 to 1-7 draw in a dead rubber Section B clash at Ballyhaunis today.
Free-taker Alan Murphy, making his first start for the hosts, kicked two late points to ensure the stalemate while Cathal Cregg scored the Rossies' goal in the first half.
The other Section A fixture finished in a 0-15 to 0-13 triumph for IT Sligo over NUI Galway.
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