Yeats County take on Big Apple in Championship Opener:

The All Ireland Senior Football Championship begins less than ten days from now with the contest between Sligo and New York in the opening round of the Connacht Championship. This year will mark New York's 13th year in the Senior Football Championship and hopes are high in the Big Apple that this year could be the year the Exiles claim their first ever Championship win.

Sligo will be this years opponents and will make the long journey to Gaelic Park in the Bronx next Sunday to take on the Exiles in what promises to be a packed stadium for the occasion. Sligo last travelled to New York in 2007 where they recorded a facile win over the Exiles, however they also hold the unwanted record of being the only team to lose an FBD Final stateside when they were defeated by the New Yorkers in 2004. The Yeatsmen will look to their twin attacking threats of Adrian Marren and Mark Breheny to provide the scores and have looked impressive throughout the league campaign recording wins over Roscommon, Offaly, Tipperary and Wexford. The return of Eamon O'Hara from injury promises to boost Sligo's chances in this encounter.

New York will have it all to do if they are to record a famous win in Gaelic Park. The team is captained by Tyrone native, Errigal Ciaran's own Ronan McGinley and contains a mixture of seasoned campaigners in the New York colours, new additions to the squad and a host of Irish American players looking to represent their native county. Under the tutelage of Connie Molloy and Mickey Coleman (a former All Ireland Winner himself with Tyrone) the team have worked hard throughout the winter months and will be sure to rattle the 2007 Connacht Champions.

The match will be preceded by a game featuring the New York U14 Feile All Stars due to travel to Offaly /Laois in June who will take on a Delco Gaels select from Philadelphia. Tweet

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