EirGrid Connacht U20 Football Championship Final

Sligo 0-14 Galway 0-13

By Billy Coss at Tuam Stadium

Birthday boy Dillon Walsh popped up with the match-winning point deep in injury-time as Sligo edged a pulsating Connacht U-20 Football Championship final with Galway at Tuam Stadium.

The Yeats County had never won the competition prior to last year. Now they've created history by retaining the JJ Fahy Cup for the very first time and they did it the hard way by defeating Roscommon, Mayo and Galway.

A terrific final ebbed and flowed as both sides swapped spells in the ascendancy. Galway looked to have timed their run perfectly when a golden period of four points without answer from Charlie Power, sub Maidhc Mac Gearailt and two from Cillian Ó Curraoin armed them with a 0-13 to 0-11 lead in the 58th minute.

Sligo 'keeper Ethan Cadden also produced a superb double-save to deny Seán Birmingham and Ó Curraoin, but Paul Henry's side would summon a driving finish that produced the closing three points through top scorer Luke Marren, Daire O'Boyle and finally Walsh in what was the game's final act.

Galway raced into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead after 18 minutes thanks to two apiece from Ó Curraoin and Jake Slattery as well as one from Matthew Thompson. Matt Henry struck Sligo's sole reply and it took a terrific effort from wing-back Dylan Walsh in the 25th minute to spark the visitors with further points coming from sub Joshua Flynn and two Marren frees to level matters.

The home side responded with Birmingham and Ó Curraoin efforts and though Marren closed the half's scoring, Galway were in possession of a slender 0-7 to 0-6 advantage.

Dónal Ó Fátharta's side moved three clear within three minutes of the resumption following further points from Ó Curraoin and Slattery. They would fail to trouble the score keepers again until the 51st minute however as Sligo grew in stature and reeled off five without reply through Flynn, O'Boyle and Marren (three) to move 0-11 to 0-9 in front.

Both 'keepers, Cadden of Sligo and Galway's James Egan, came up with big moments for their respective teams before Galway, inspired by Ó Curraoin, struck four on the bounce to move 0-13 to 0-11 ahead.

There would be a twist in the tale however as Sligo grabbed back the initiative with Marren bringing his return to seven points on the evening and O'Boyle levelling matters with his second.

It was end to end in injury-time and after the men in black mounted one last defensive stand, they hit Galway on the break with Walsh holding his nerve to punch over the decisive score in a thriller.

Scores for Sligo: Luke Marren 0-7 (4fs), Daire O'Boyle and Joshua Flynn 0-2 each; Dylan Walsh, Matt Henry and Dillon Walsh 0-1 each.

Scorers for Galway: Cillian Ó Curraoin 0-6 (4f, 1 45), Jake Slattery 0-3, Matthew Thompson, Seán Birmingham (m), Charlie Power and Maidhc Mac Gearailt 0-1 each.

Sligo: Ethan Carden; Ross Chambers, Conor Johnston, Luke Casserly; Dylan Walsh, Dylan McLoughlin, Rossa Sloyan; Conor Sheridan, Canice Mulligan (captain); Mark McDaniel, Ronan Niland, Ross Doherty; Luke Marren, Daire O'Boyle, Matt Henry.

Subs: Joshua Flynn for Henry inj (25), Dillon Walsh for McDaniel (40), James Kiernan for Doherty (47), Brian Byrne for Niland (60).

Galway: James Egan; Luc O’Connor, Éanna Donohue, Colm Mac Donncha (captain); Bernard Coen, Brian Cogger, Jack Folan; Sam O’Neill, Patrick Egan; Matthew Thompson, Cillian Ó Curraoin, Fergal Ó Sé; Charlie Power, Seán Birmingham, Jake Slattery.

Subs: Michael Moughan for Coen (45), Jack Lonergan for Folan (47); Maidhc Mac Gearailt for Ó Sé (53), Daithí Kilcommins for Thompson (60).

Referee: Liam Devenney (Mayo).