Pat Spillane Jnr, son of Kerry GAA icon Pat Spillane, has made a surprise transfer to Sligo club St Molaoise Gaels, marking the latest chapter in a unique footballing journey.

The 26-year-old joins the Yeats County outfit from St Jude’s in Dublin, with whom he reached the Dublin Senior Football Championship final in 2021, narrowly losing to Kilmacud Crokes.

Third Club, Third County

This will be Spillane’s third club across three counties. He began his football career with his native Templenoe in Kerry, before transferring to Dublin club St Jude’s. Now, having qualified to represent Sligo through his mother Rosarii, Spillane makes the move west.

He became eligible to play for Sligo in 2022, thanks to his maternal roots in the county.

AFL Links

Though Spillane never lined out for Kerry at minor, U20 or senior level, he did catch the eye of international recruiters. In 2015, he was selected to attend an AFL draft combine alongside players such as Cavan’s Thomas Galligan and Kilkenny’s Darragh Joyce — the latter now playing professionally for the Brisbane Lions after an initial stint with St Kilda.

Who Are St Molaoise Gaels?

St Molaoise Gaels are an emerging force in Sligo club football, competing in the Intermediate ranks. The addition of a player of Spillane’s pedigree and experience is seen as a major boost to their ambitions for the 2025 season and beyond.

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CLICK HERE FOR LIVE SCORES ON SLIGO v MAYO

Sligo will host newly promoted and All-Ireland contenders Mayo at Markievicz Park in Sligo.

Tony McEntee will look to cause an upset by knocking out the Connacht champions to book their place in the semi-final.

Mayo will be looking to prove doubters wrong after gaining promotion from last years relegation to Division two.

Beating Westmeath, Down, Meath and Clare. They are a clear Division one side.

With the absence of starman Cillian O’Connor in the full-forward line, it will be interesting to see how Mayo handle themselves without him.

The reigning champions should steamroll their way into the semi-final.

Players to watch

Sligo: Niall Murphy (Coolera/Strandhill)

Mayo: Tommy Conroy (The Neale)

Starting/Predicted Teams

Sligo

Eamonn Kilgannon; Ryan Feehily, Eddie McGuinness, Evan Lyons; Keelan Cawley, Darragh Cummins, Paul McNamara; Paddy O’Connor, Paul Kilcoyne; Conor Griffin, Sean Carrabine, Mikey Gordon; Nathan Rooney, Niall Murphy, Cian Lally

Mayo

Rob Hennelly; Eoin O’Donoghue, Oisin Mullin, Lee Keegan; Michael Plunkett, Stephen Coen, Fergal Boland; Matthew Ruane, Jack Carney; Diarmuid O’Connor, Darren McHale, Bryan Walsh; Ryan O’Donoghue, Tommy Conroy James Carr

Betting

Sligo: 16/1

Mayo: 1/100

Draw: 33/1

Prediction

Mayo.

A Twitter List by IrishScoresGAA

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Mayo comes into the Connacht provincial championship off the back of a very strong National Football League campaign.

In contrast, their opponents enter the Championship after a big loss to Wexford in the Division Four shield.

The All-Ireland finalists breezed past the opposition in Division Two after their relegation last season.

The defending provincial champions weathered a Westmeath storm in the first half of their only challenge in Division Two.

The Mayo attack has been in hot form with 102 points from four games.

Cillian O’Connor showed his quality with expert free-taking and the rest of the team chipped in with points every game.

Furthermore, the Mayo defence has improved after the Heather County’s 2020 campaign was the definition of gung-ho football.

The Connacht giants’ opposition has had a less positive start to the 2021 season.

Sligo started well with a convincing three-goal win over neighbours Leitrim.

Their attack has been impressive in their first games under Tony McEntee.

Sean Carrabine has been a consistent scorer in the Sligo full-forward line and should play well against Mayo.

However, their defence cracked against the stronger sides in Division Four North.

Sligo had another three-goal display via three penalties against Antrim but gave the Saffrons three of their own, losing by a point.

Furthermore, Mickey Harte’s Louth put three past Sligo goalkeeper Eamonn Kilgannon to doom the Magpies to the Division Four Shield.

In addition, Wexford gave the Yeats County another tough day with a dominant victory to win the shield.

SCORERS
NFL Div 4

Full time
Sligo: 0-9(9)
Wexford: 2-15(21) pic.twitter.com/cO7kNUMCwJ

— Sligo GAA (@sligogaa) June 13, 2021

This was the only game where their attack could not keep up with the opposition as Wexford ran out 2-15 (21) to 0-09 (9) winners.

The Wexford loss was a wake-up call for a side that is slowly improving.

But their slight improvements are not enough to take down a side with as much quality as James Horan’s Mayo has.

Sligo should not trouble the Connacht champions.

The winner of Mayo v Sligo faces Leitrim on May 11th.

Predicted Winner: Mayo by 15

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1. 2002, Dublin 2-11 vs 0-10 Meath – Leinster Semi-Final.

It seems like a distant memory now, but Dublin were not always the juggernaut they are now. Meath were very much the county on top of Leinster at the turn of the century. In 2002, Dublin were entering their seventh season without a Leinster title.

In addition, there was not exactly huge expectations from the capital. A mediocre League campaign was followed by a victory over Wexford in the Championship before the Meath fixture.

Previously, Meath had taken apart a Kerry team in 2001 that had beaten Dublin. While it had been 3 years since the Royals won the Sam Maguire, there was still a huge gap between them and Dublin.

But, once the ball was thrown in this Leinster semi-final the Dubs came out firing. Manager Tommy Lyons worked the magic that saw him bring Kilmacud Crokes to Club glory in 1995. It was Ray Cosgrove who led the charge with two goals to sink Meath.

Since then Meath have only won one Leinster final. In contrast, Dublin have only improved. That game very much marked a power shift in Leinster.

2. 2007, Sligo 1-10 vs 0-12 Galway – Connacht Final.

For the longest time Connacht has been dominated by Galway and Mayo with Roscommon joining them in recent years. Hence, when Sligo upset Galway in 2007 it was a huge upset.

The semi-final was a shock in itself. After being six points down in the second half in Dr Hyde Park, the Yeats County won the final twenty minutes by eight to beat Roscommon.

The final went to a fro in the first half. Then, in the 24th minute Eamonn O’Hara found the net for Sligo and by half-time they were two up. In the final 20 minutes Sligo only scored one point but their defence held strong.

The win was their first Connacht title since 1975 and it ruptured the Galway/Mayo trend that had developed in Connacht.

3. 2010, Down 1-16 vs 1-10 Kerry – All-Ireland Quarter-Final.

When Down knocked reigning Champions Kerry out of the Championship at the quarter-final stage in 2010, it was the first time the Kingdom weren’t playing football in September since 2003.

Mark Poland scored the crucial goal for Down as the Ulster side raced into a 1-4 to 0-0 lead. Likewise, Marty Clarke was doing serious damage. Kerry came back somewhat but never really managed to get a foothold in the game. Hence, the upset was more than just Down defeating Kerry. It was the comfort with which they did it.

4. 2011, Tipperary 3-09 vs 1-14 Dublin – All-Ireland Minor Final.

Before Dessie Farrell took charge of the Dublin Seniors this year, he had already been successful with the county at minor and u-21 level. However, the 2011 Minor Final is absent from his CV. In Farrell’s first year in charge of the Dublin minors, they were dramatically beaten in the final by Tipperary.

The Tipperary manager that day was David Power who himself took charge of the seniors this year. Goals from Liam McGrath, Michael Quinlivan, and Colman Kennedy saw the Premier County’s first title in 77 years.

Dublin controlled the final and had a two-point lead going into the final 5 minutes. Then, a quick 1-1 from Tipperary stunned the blues and they couldn’t undo the damage in time. That Dublin team contained Ciarán Kilkenny, John Small, Jack McCaffrey, Paul Mannion and Cormac Costello.

Likewise, many of the Tipperary players that day continued to have successful careers. For example, Michael Quinlivan was influential again in 2017 when Tipperary pulled off another upset against Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final.

5. 2018, Kildare 0-21 vs 0-19 Mayo – Round 3 Qualifier.

Mayo were the real threat to Dublin’s dominance in the 2010s. The Dubs beat the westerners in the 2011, ’13, ’16, and ’17 finals with 2016 requiring a replay. Furthermore, the sides met in the 2015 semi-final and had to replay that game too. So, when Mayo were knocked out of the 2018 Championship in the third qualifying round, it was huge news and Dublin walked to a fourth All-Ireland on the trot.

‘Newbridge or Nowhere’ was the rally call before this game. The Lilywhites refused to sacrifice their home draw for a Croke Park double-header and the performance justified their fight.

Kildare went toe-toe with Mayo. At the time, Mayo had proven themselves as one of the best teams in the country consistently. However, Kildare’s home advantage helped them rattle off six of the last nine scores to knock Mayo out.

Kildare couldn’t replicate the form in the Super 8s but the absence of Mayo sent shockwaves through the Championship.

Incredibly heroic GOAL by @OfficialCorkGAA's Mark Keane in the dying seconds of extra time to win the game for the side!! pic.twitter.com/eyBrnBJ67z

— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 8, 2020

https://twitter.com/officialgaa/status/1325505361416237058

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Last weekend, Wicklow were emphatic against Antrim. Their seven-goals was enough to win a game in itself. As a result, they are tied top of Division 4 and need one of the favourites for promotion.

But, Wexford returned to action with a win of their own. Despite going to Limerick with a depleted squad, they ran out three-point winners. That was a much-needed confidence boost for a team that has been shrouded with uncertainty. Paul Galvin stepped away as manager just a month before the restart. Then, four positive Covid-19 tests ruled out a host of players for Galvin’s replacement Shane Roche. With this in mind, Wexford’s win last weekend is even more impressive. If they can carry that momentum into round 7, they will see themselves in Division 3 next season.

Prediction: Wicklow.

Limerick could have sealed promotion with a result over Wexford. Instead, they need to defeat Sligo to go up to Division 3. They hit just three first-half points against Wexford. In fact, it took a triple substitution at the midpoint to give the Munster men a boost. Billy Lee will be keen to ensure his team start quicker this time around.

Sligo will relish the battle with Limerick. In their own restart, they lost to Carlow at the death. As a result, their promotion hopes have thinned. Yet, a win over Limerick would give make it possible. Paul Taylor’s side face Galway in the Championship two weeks later. A promotion would provide his team with much-welcome encouragement heading into this one. They have nothing to gain from a draw. So, expect them to play off the cuff.

Prediction: Limerick.

On Thursday morning, Waterford issued a lengthy statement announcing their concession of the round 7 game against Antrim. The statement cited players’ concerns over needing to isolate after travelling north of the border as the reason. However, Antrim have since offered to sacrifice their home game in order to fulfil the fixture.

As a result, the game will now take place in Dundalk. Antrim could have taken the two points from Waterford without even playing. But, they instead stated their desire to win the game in a deserving manner:  “We believe that the integrity of the league needs to be upheld. If we are good enough to collect two points we will do it in a fair and manly manner on the field of play.”

This game is effectively a dead-rubber for Waterford. Still, it is an opportunity to get some match practice ahead of the Championship. They play Limerick the following week in the Munster quarter-final.

A victory for Antrim will put them in the promotion mix. It’s a big ask though as other results also need to go their way. Last week, their thrashing at the hands of Wicklow left much to be desired.

Prediction: Antrim.

Division 4 National League: (All games throw-in at 2pm on Saturday, October 24th) 

Wexford vs Wicklow (Chadwick’s Wexford Park).

Sligo vs Limerick (Markievicz Park).

Antrim vs Waterford (Dundalk).

FIXTURES THIS WEEKEND
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIV4 | RD7
Wexford v Wicklow
2pm | Saturday October 25th | Wexford
This game is scheduled to be streamed live on GAAGO pic.twitter.com/5uZ9rHYeVy

— Official Wicklow GAA (@wicklowgaa) October 19, 2020

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https://3.249.64.60/gaa/weekend-gaa-fixtures-results-25th-26th-27th-july-2020/

https://twitter.com/wicklowgaa/status/1318087918687223808

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Allianz Football Division 4 round 6
Carlow v Sligo, Netwatch Cullen Park, 5pm Preview and live score commentary

Currently, Sligo sit two points ahead of Carlow. Wins over London, Antrim and Wexford have them on 6 points. However, losses to Wicklow and Waterford mean that promotion is a big ask. But, two wins in their remaining two fixtures could see them go up if other results go their way.

In a similar way, Carlow have two defeats on their record. These came against Wexford and Limerick after an opening win over Wicklow. Then, draws with Antrim and Waterford ruled out any potential promotion. Yet, Carlow have the blessing of a guaranteed two points from round 7 due to London’s inability to play. Therefore, there is nothing to stop them from giving everything against Sligo in hopes of a respectable finish.

These are the two sides who suffered relegation from Division 3 in 2019. As it stands, it does not look likely that either team is on course for immediate resurrection. But, the middle of the table is very condensed and two good performances from Sligo could see them jump towards the top.

The Connacht side need to hit the ground running. Their Championship begins on November 7th away to Galway. They will be obvious underdogs but, in a straight knock-out Championship, just two wins could have them in an All-Ireland semi-final.

In contrast, Carlow begin their Championship a week earlier. They play Offaly on November 1st in the first round of the Leinster Championship. With this in mind, they will be grateful for the recovery they will get instead of playing round 7 of the League.

Allianz National League Division 4: Carlow vs Sligo, Saturday October 17th, 5pm (Netwatch Cullen Park).

.@GAAGO will exclusively stream up to 23 games from the upcoming return of #AllianzLeagues action. Previously available outside of Ireland only, the service will for the first time allow GAA fans at home to stream inter-county GAA games live or on demand. #GAA

— The GAA (@officialgaa) October 9, 2020

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/2019-provisional-allianz-football-league-fixtures/

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/2019-provisional-allianz-football-league-fixtures/

https://twitter.com/officialgaa/status/1314507604790521857

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