​Sunday May 7

Connacht Senior Football Championship Preliminary round**

New York v Sligo, Gaelic Park, 3.15pm local time (8.15pm Irish time)

New York have never won a Connacht Senior Football Championship match but they quietly fancy their chances of making history against Sligo on Sunday.

They fell agonisingly short against Roscommon last year, yet the one-point defeat was nevertheless an affirmation that they’re getting closer and closer to making a big breakthrough.

Team captain and former Down footballer, Gerard McCartan, believes the team they’ve named for Sunday’s game is their strongest yet.

"Yeah, we have had great squads over the last few years but this year I feel it's probably the strongest, or on an even-par with last year,” said McCartan.

"We're well prepared, training is going well. The management team have us going in the right direction."

New York will be without two of their best players from last year’s defeat to Roscommon – midfielders Brian Connor and Luke Loughlin – who have both been sidelined by injury.

They still possess a lot of quality in their ranks though, including former Sligo goalkeeper Vinny Cadden and Wicklow attacker Conor McGraynor.

They’ve also been strengthened this year by the addition of former Mayo defender Tom Cunniffe, and Dublin hurler, Danny Sutcliffe.

"Guys like Tom Cunniffe and [Danny/> Sutcliffe, they can only improve the squad,” said McCartan.

"Having a lad like that [Cunniffe/>, with his experience, it's great, it will push lads on.

"Danny is a natural athlete. He's played at the highest level in hurling and now this is his chance to prove himself as a footballer.

"We'll see come Sunday but so far I've been impressed."

Last year’s heroic performance again Roscommon has whetted the appetite among the Irish community for this game and McCartan is confident they’ll have a large and vociferous support in Gaelic Park for the match.

“The community around Gaelic Park is massive,” he said. “It is a good community and what we did last year has added to the interest.

“It is a big day anyway over here but what happened last year will only add to that so there is a good atmosphere.”

Sligo’s preparations for the match have been hit by the unavailability of Kevin McDonnell, Luke Nicholson, and Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch who are all sitting college exams on Monday so couldn’t travel, while Niall Murphy is ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Team manager Niall Carew is all too aware the match is a potential banana-skin for his team, and has warned his players to expect the best New York team possible.

“It is going to be a tough game,” says Carew. “From the soundbites that are coming out of New York, they are saying that this is the best prepared team ever and they feel they can win,” said Carew.

“There is a real championship feel to this game and any thoughts about going over to New York having the craic and winning are no longer there.

“This is a big game and they are a good team and we will have to be at our best to beat them. They have fellas who are solid and they have been training extremely hard by all accounts and dropped 15 lads from the panel recently.”

New York: Vinny Cadden; Tom Cunniffe, David Cunnane, Peter Witherow; Gerard McCartan, David Culhane, Keith Quinn; Brian Gallagher, Shane Hogan; Danny Sutcliffe, Conor McGraynor, Ross Wherity; Daniel McKenna, Shane O’Connor, Eugene McVerry. **Subs: **Jer O'Sullivan, Paddy Boyle, Ronan McGinley, Paul Lambe, Eoin Flanagan, Keith Scally, Kevin Connolly, Eoin Ward, David Freeman, Niall McFeeley, Paul McGinley.

**Sligo: **Aidan Devaney; Ross Donovan, Charlie Harrison, Eoin McHugh; Keelan Cawley, Brendan Egan, John Kelly; Cian Breheny, Adrian McIntyre, Neil Ewin, Mark Breheny, Kyle Cawley; Stephen Coen, Pat Hughes, Adrian Marren. 

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RTÉ Radio 1 will broadcast full live commentary from 8pm this Sunday, May 7 of the New York vs Sligo match.

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