Sligo showed their class as they scored a superb 1-14 to 0-13 victory over Roscommon at Markievicz Park.

They may have gone into the match as 3/1 outsiders but Niall Carew's charges - who hadn't played a competitive match in almost three months - delivered a very assured display to seal a provincial final date with Mayo on July 19th.

With the advantage of a slight breeze, the underdogs bossed the first half to deservedly lead by 1-7 to 0-5 at the break, with Adrian Marren notching 1-4 during that opening period - including a 32nd-minute penalty goal - and Pat Hughes (0-2) causing the Rossies defence all manner of trouble.

Points from Cian Breheny and Marren (free) got the Yeats County off to a good start and Enda Smith from Boyle finally opened the Rossies' account - with his fifth point of this summer's championship - in the tenth minute.

Hughes restored the two-point cushion with a nice strike from play in the 15th minute and a second successful Marren free left three between the sides after 20 minutes. Cathal Cregg replied with a terrific score but a great Ross Donovan intervention created an opening for Marren, who swung over a stunning Sligo point.

Ciaran Cafferky was happy enough to fist his point after getting through for a Roscommon goal chance and Ciaran Murtagh clipped over a free before Marren replied from another Sligo free, 0-6 to 0-4 with nine minutes left in the first half. An out-of-sorts Senan Kilbride registered his third wide - and the Rossies' sixth - and Marren (free) stuck a third Sligo wide at the other end.

Cafferky fisted his second and the underdogs were awarded a penalty on the half-hour when Neil Ewing was pulled to ground, having reacted quickest after the ball rebounded off an upright. David Kelly stepped up initially but Marren put himself forward to take the kick, which he excellently despatched past Darren O'Malley to leave four points between the teams with half time approaching, 1-6 to 0-5.

Roscommon's nightmare first half went from bad to worse when key attacker Diarmuid Murtagh had to be substituted after damaging his hamstring. Aptly, it was the influential Hughes who stroked over the final score of the opening period to make it double scores at the break.

Attacking the dressing-room end, Roscommon made a fantastic start to the second half with a Cregg point inside ten seconds but Marren replied immediately after a Cathal Shine error. Cian Breheny punctuated a superb Sligo team move with his second excellent point of the night to leave six between them.

Half-time substitute Donie Smith saw his goalbound shot tipped over by Enda Devaney but Sligo replied with another confident Marren finish from play as they remained six to the good. Murtagh nailed a Roscommon free but then hit the post with his next one as the red-hot favourites struggled to get back into the match.

Somehow the visitors managed to spurn a wonderful goal chance when substitute Cian Connolly couldn't finish to the net after Enda Smith's initial effort was saved, but the arrears was decreased when the impressive Cregg fired his third point of the game. With a quarter of the match left to play, Sligo led by four: 1-10 to 0-9.

In the 57th minute, Sligo carved open another great goal-scoring chance but David Kelly decided to take his point and keep the scoreboard ticking over. Niall Daly's lovely finish gave the Rossies renewed hope with ten minutes remaining … Enda Smith pointed to leave three between them with eight left.

Sligo were hanging on by their fingertips but received a major boost when Marren pointed from play after Cathal Shine had been black-carded. Mark Breheny's super point from play raised one of the biggest cheers of the night as it sailed over after substitute Finbarr Cregg has pointed a Rossies free.

Mark Breheny knocked over another point for the winners and Cregg who supplied the last score of the night for the losers, who have been consigned to the Qualifiers. That's a story in itself but tonight was all about brilliant Sligo!

Sligo - A Devaney; R Donovan, K McDonnell, D Maye; K Cawley, B Egan, E Flanagan; C Breheny (0-2), N Murphy; C Davey, M Breheny (0-2), N Ewing; D Kelly (0-1), P Hughes (0-2), A Marren (1-7, 1-0pen, 0-3f). Subs: B Curran for C Davey (BC), S Gilmartin for C Breheny.

Roscommon - D O'Malley; S McDermott, N Carty, N Collins; N Daly (0-1), D Ward, C Cafferky (0-2); I Kilbride (0-1), C Shine; E Smith (0-2), R Stack, C Cregg (0-4); D Murtagh, S Kilbride, C Murtagh (0-2f). Subs: C Connolly for D Murtagh, D Smith for R Stack, D Keenan for D Ward, C Compton for S Kilbride, F Cregg (0-1f) for C Murtagh.

Referee - M Deegan.

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