Galway and Sligo have both named their teams for tomorrow afternoon's Connacht Senior Football Championship semi-final in Markiewicz Park (3.30 pm). Galway manager Padraig Joyce has made two changes from the side that beat London convincingly 5-21 to 0-9 in Ruislip two weeks ago, with Shane Walsh returning to the forward line for the first time since the opening round of the National League against Mayo and Corofin's Jack McCabe earning a first championship start at corner forward. The injured Cathal Sweeney and Cillian O'Curraoin make way. Interestingly, three players lining out tomorrow play their club football in Dublin, Galway's Shane Walsh (Kilmacud Crokes) and Cein Darcy (Ballyboden St Endas) and Sligo's Darragh Cummins (St Vincents). Sligo are looking for their first championship win over Galway since 2012, having finished fourth in Division 3 of this year's National Football League.
Galway: Connor Gleeson (Dunmore MacHales); Johnny McGrath (Caherlistrane), Sean Fitzgerald (Barna), Jack Glynn (Claregalway); Dylan McHugh (Corofin), John Daly (Mountbellew Moylough), Liam Silke (Corofin); Paul Conroy (St James), Sean Kelly (Maigh Cuilinn - Captain); Johnny Heaney (Killannin), Shane Walsh (Kilmacud Crokes), Cein Darcy (Ballyboden St Endas); Jack McCabe (Corofin), Robert Finnerty (Salthill Knocknacarra), Liam O'Conghaile (An Spideal).
Sligo manager Tony McEntee has made three changes from the side that beat Leitrim for tomorrow's game. Paul McNamara and Peter Laffey come into the back line and Lee Deignan into the attack. Brian Cox, David Quinn and Paddy O'Connor are the three players to make way. Nine of the team that started last year's Connacht final defeat to Galway in Castlebar (2-20 to 0-11). Players of note on the starting fifteen named include last year's Sligo U20 Captain Canice Mulligan who made his debut in the opening-round 0-15 to 0-6 victory over Leitrim, Cian Lally is well-known as a top basketball player with Sligo All-Stars, while county champions Coolera Strandhill have two players on the starting team, Peter Laffey and captain Niall Murphy.
Sligo: Aidan Devanney (Calry St Josephs); Evan Lyons (Shamrock Gaels), Eddie McGuinness (Tubbercurry), Paul McNamara (St Johns); Peter Laffey (Coolera Strandhill), Nathan Mullen (Collaney Mullinabreena), Darragh Cummins (St Vincents Dublin); Sean Carrabine (Castleconnor), Canice Mulligan (St Patricks); Cian Lally (Drumcliffe Rosses Point), Alan McLoughlin (St Molaise Gaels), Eoghan Smith (Drumcliffe Rosses Point); Paul Kilcoyne (St Marys), Niall Murphy (Coolera Strandhill - captain), Lee Deignan (Shamrock Gaels).
Galway v Sligo meetings in the Connacht SFC:
1909 - Galway 2-5 Sligo 1-7 in Sligo
1922 - Sligo 3-1 Galway 1-6 in Tuam (objection), Galway 2-4 Sligo 1-5 in Croke Park (re-fixture)
1929 - Galway 1-7 Sligo 0-0 in Roscommon
1930 - Sligo 2-4 Galway 1-5 in Castlebar
1933 - Galway 4-8 Sligo 0-4 in Castlerea
1935 - Galway 5-4 Sligo 0-2 in Castlebar
1937 - Galway 3-1 Sligo 0-2 in Castlebar
1938 - Galway 3-11 Sligo 2-3 in Tuam
1945 - Galway 2-7 Sligo 1-5 in Roscommon
1947 - Sligo 2-6 Galway 1-6 in Roscommon
1954 - Galway 2-10 Sligo 3-4 in Tuam
1956 - Galway 3-12 Sligo 1-5 in Sligo
1960 - Galway 1-8 Sligo 1-3 in Tuam
1964 - Galway 2-12 Sligo 1-12 in Sligo
1965 - Galway 1-12 Sligo 2-6 in Tuam
1970 - Galway 1-8 Sligo 0-7 in Charlestown
1971 - Galway 2-15 Sligo 2-15 in Castlebar, Galway 1-17 Sligo 3-10 (replay)
1973 - Galway 3-6 Sligo 1-9 in Tuam
1975 - Sligo 1-13 Galway 0-6 in Sligo
1978 - Galway 1-11 Sligo 1-8 in Tuam
1986 - Galway 2-13 Sligo 3-5 in Sligo
1990 - Galway 6-18 Sligo 0-4 in Pearse Stadium
1995 - Galway 0-11 Sligo 0-11 in Sligo, Galway 1-12 Sligo 0-8 in Tuam (replay)
1996 - Galway 1-11 Sligo 1-11 in Sligo, Galway 0-19 Sligo 2-7 in Tuam (replay)
1999 - Galway 1-13 Sligo 3-7 in Sligo, Galway 1-17 Sligo 0-7 in Tuam (replay)
2000 - Galway 0-22 Sligo 0-4 in Sligo
2002 - Galway 1-11 Sligo 0-11 in Castlebar
2006 - Galway 0-19 Sligo 1-12 in Pearse Stadium
2007 - Sligo 1-10 Galway 0-12 in Roscommon
2009 - Galway 1-13 Sligo 0-12 in Sligo
2010 - Sligo 1-10 Galway 1-10 in Pearse Stadium, Sligo 1-14 Galway 0-16 in Sligo (replay)
2012 - Sligo 2-14 Galway 0-15 in Pearse Stadium
2014 - Galway 0-16 Sligo 0-11 in Sligo
2018 - Galway 4-24 Sligo 1-12 in Pearse Stadium
2019 - Galway 3-11 Sligo 0-7 in Sligo
2020 - Galway w/o Sligo conceded
2023 - Galway 2-20 Sligo 0-12 in Castlebar
