Sligo delivered a superb display to beat Galway by 2-14 to 0-15 at Salthill.

The winners made a mockery of their odds of 4/1 to power through to a provincial final meeting with either Mayo or Leitrim, while Galway had no answer to their conquerors' hunger and go crashing into the Qualifiers.

Adrian Marren was the star of the show for the victors, with a match-winning return of 2-6, including goals in the 55th (penalty) and 67th minutes. Corner back Neil Ewing was also exceptional but, in fairness, the entire Yeats County side excelled tonight as their manager Kevin Walsh made a triumphant return to his home county.

With just shy of 9,000 spectators looking on, Galway had led by 0-5 to 0-1 after the first quarter and by 0-9 to 0-5 at the break but were totally overwhelmed in the second period as Sligo scored 2-9 and conceded just 0-6.

Six points from Mark Hehir - five of them from frees - had helped the wind-assisted losers take a 0-9 to 0-5 interval advantage, with Gary Sice also notching two frees. Sligo had worked hard in the first half and all their scores came from open play, including three from Marren, who was enjoying a great battle with Finian Hanley.

At the other end, visiting full back Johnny Martyn had his hands full trying to contain Paul Conroy, who was outstanding against Roscommon in the last round.

Sligo received a welcome boost before throw-in with David Kelly named in their starting XV (with Stephen Coen, who was top scorer in the victory over New York, unluckily making way). Kelly would have a great game.

Galway wing forward Sice opened the scoring from a second-minute free but opposing full forward Marren levelled with an excellent right-foot finish in the fourth minute.

Hehir's free had the hosts back in front but the same player then missed a free from further out the field as the Yeats County hung in there gallantly. But Galway No.14 Conroy got out well in front of his marker Martyn and drew a twelfth-minute free, from which Hehir made it 0-3 to 0-1.

And it was deja-vu in the 14th minute when Conroy again won the free from which Hehir added to the Tribe tally. Sean Armstrong made amends for an earlier miss when he slammed over an excellent point for the home team who were momentarily picking up where they had left off against Roscommon as they led by 0-5 to 0-1 at the end of the first quarter.

Mark Breheny was on target for the visitors in the 20th minute following some good industry from centre forward Pat Hughes and, playing against the breeze, Sligo drew back within a point of their opponents with two stunning overs inside a minute from Marren and Alan Costello.

Unfortunately for the underdogs, some of that momentum was lost when Ross Donovan fouled Armstrong and Sice slotted over another Galway free to make it 0-6 to 0-4. Breheny sent a shot wide from an awkward angle and Hehir collected a pass from Armstrong to float over only Galway's second point from play and their seventh in total: 0-7 to 0-4 after 28 minutes.

Hehir's fifth point (free) made it double scores and the same player tapped over another close-range free to send Alan Mulholland's men five clear with half time approaching. Galway's deliveries into the full-forward line were at times running Sligo ragged, forcing them to commit fouls, from which Hehir in particular and Sice were taking full advantage.

Marren notched a fifth Sligo point from play after his own relatively-easy free had rebounded off an upright and the half-time whistle sounded with four points between the teams.

The breeze seemed to have dropped for the restart but, after a scrappy start to the second period, Marren closed the gap further with a 41st-minute score. The Galway think-tank responded by introducing Micheal Meehan but midfielder Shane McManus and Kelly were on target for the visitors as they closed the gap to just a single point, 0-9 to 0-8, ten minutes into the second half.

When Marren arrowed over a '45' in the 46th minute, the sides were level. Sligo had bossed the opening exchanges of the second period, slotting over four without reply to make it nine points apiece. Galway looked to be in real trouble…

Conroy nudged the favourites briefly back in front but Alan Costello replied immediately with a super score. And when wing back Paul McGovern was knocked over by Hanley inside the parallelogram at the three-quarters stage, Sligo were awarded a penalty.

The in-form Marren took the kick and, after a long delay, he calmly drilled a hard low shot to the bottom corner of the net to make it 1-10 to 0-10. The comeback had been completed in style. Since the restart, Sligo had outscored their much-vaunted opponents by 1-5 to 0-1!

The hosts had introduced the peerless Padraic Joyce but they were dealt a real blow when their captain Hanley picked up a shoulder injury and had to leave the fray for the decisive final 15 minutes.

Hehir stroked over a dubious Galway free with nine minutes of normal time remaining and Sice was on hand to slot over yet another free to make it 1-10 to 0-12 after 62 minutes. With the pressure mounting, Kelly justified his inclusion when he thumped over a superb point just when Sligo needed it most.

At the other end, Conroy pointed at the end of a lung-bursting run from the inspirational Gareth Bradshaw down the right wing to leave the game very much in the balance again with five minutes to go. Hughes fired the insurance point for brilliant Sligo after tremendous work from substitute Tony Taylor and McManus.

Then came the clincher: Costello's kick made its way to Marren and the outstanding full forward made no mistake as he dispatched the ball to the back of the net. With a five point cushion and just three minutes left, Sligo were virtually assured of a place in the 2012 Connacht SFC final.

Marren stroked over a late free and Alan Costello took his third point from a wonderful long-range free. Substitute Meehan and Conroy's injury-time scores for the bewildered Tribesmen were mere consolations.

Sligo: Philip Greene; Neil Ewing, Johnny Martyn, Ross Donovan; Charles Harrison, Mark Quinn, Paul McGovern; Shane McManus (0-1), Eugene Mullen; Brendan Egan, Pat Hughes (0-1), Alan Costello (0-3); David Kelly (0-2), Adrian Marren (2-6), Mark Breheny (0-1). Subs: Tony Taylor, Noel Maguire, David Maye, Jonathan Davey.

Galway: Adrian Faherty; Kieran McGrath, Finian Hanley, Keith Kelly; Gareth Bradshaw, Johnny Duane, Gary O'Donnell; Joe Bergin, Greg Higgins; Gary Sice (0-3), Damien Burke, Thomas Flynn; Sean Armstrong (0-1); Paul Conroy (0-3), Mark Hehir (0-7). Subs: Micheal Meehan (0-1), Gary Sweeney, Padraig Joyce, Colin Forde. Tweet

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