Galway’s Medtronic failed in their bid for provincial honours when they went down 0-12 to 1-02 to a strong Sligo Garda side in the Connacht Interfirms Junior Football final in Castlebar.
It was a case of third time lucky for the Sligo boys who have failed at the same stage for the past two years. They dominated the match from start to finish and were deserved winners.
Though shorn of a number of regulars, Medtronic can have no complaints. Instead they can look back on a great year, having won the county title for the first time.
With Sligo on top at midfield, the Medtronic defence was under early pressure. Despite their dominance, they were only two points to the good after 10 minutes. Wayward shooting and staunch defending, particularly from Medtronic fullback Karl Doohar, kept Galway in the match, and they were unlucky in the 18th minute when corner forward Paul Kenna rounded the advancing Sligo keeper before seeing his goal-bound effort cleared off the line by the opposing defender Mark Connor. Sligo stretched their advantage moments later when Guinan was again on target, and Medtronic’s only first-half score came from a David Morris placed ball after 24 minutes.
Early points from Guinan and John Duggan doubled the Sligo advantage inside the first eight minutes. Try as they might Medtronic could not get into the match, and any chance of a revival was put to rest when four points in a six-minute period wrapped up the match for the Sligo men. David Morris replied for Medtronic as the match entered the final 10 minutes, and the Sligo men closed out the match with three further points. Medtronic scored a consolation goal in injury time when substitute John O Connor was on target.
Medtronic: C Clarke, D McHugh, K Dooher, R McDermott, T Crowe, R Rogers, T Shaughnessy, D Gilmartin, J Clifford, C Greally, D Hogan, K Kilroy, P Kenna, D Morris (0-2 ), V McGrath. Subs: C Trautt, D Fee, D Kelly, M Grimes, J O Connor (1-0 ).
