It was another successful weekend for the academy, with our sides enjoying an excellent second round of fixtures and producing a number of impressive performances. Across the age groups, there were plenty of positives to take, from dramatic late winners and valuable league points to encouraging displays full of quality.

U20 | Sligo Rovers 2-1 Athlone Town

It was a well-rounded display at The Showgrounds as our U20s picked up their first points of the season.

Rovers started brightly, putting together some excellent passages of play and creating several goalscoring opportunities. The lads’ positive start was rewarded in the 22nd minute when David Jonathan broke the deadlock. The boys continued to apply the pressure until the break, with Callum Lynch playing Corey Lavery-McCay through on goal to double the lead five minutes before half-time.

However, the boys soon discovered it was not going to be a walk in the park, as Athlone pulled a goal back shortly after the restart. A resilient defensive display ensured the two first-half goals proved enough, as Rovers held on to claim all three points against a strong Athlone side.

The lads will look to build on the result next week when they travel north to face Derry, with the aim of climbing further up the table.

U17 | Sligo Rovers 3-2 Finn Harps

It was an enthralling contest between two evenly matched sides as our U17s picked up all three points in dramatic fashion on Sunday.

After the disappointment of conceding a late equaliser away to Drogheda last week, the lads were determined to go one better, and they made the perfect start when the in-form Ryan Quinn opened the scoring in the 19th minute, following on from his brace the previous week.

After a cagey first half, the second period was anything but, with Finn Harps levelling the game shortly after the restart. Rovers responded well, as full-back Ethan O’Neill restored the lead with a fine finish.

Both sides continued to threaten for the remainder of the half, and it looked like déjà vu for the boys when Finn Harps grabbed a late equaliser, leaving Rovers on the verge of dropping points late for a second consecutive week.

However, super-sub Dillon Doherty had other ideas. Introduced just four minutes earlier, Doherty fired home a dramatic 93rd-minute winner to spark wild celebrations and secure all three points for Rovers at the death.

The win leaves Rovers second in the table ahead of next weekend’s away trip to Longford Town, where they will be aiming for another victory.

U14 Development Weekend

Rovers had three U14 sides in action at the FAI National Training Centre on Saturday, with all three teams producing committed and hard-working performances throughout the day.

Two of the sides were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Wexford and Waterford in closely contested games. Despite the results, there were plenty of encouraging displays, with several players stepping up and showing great quality both on and off the ball.

It proved to be a more difficult afternoon for the third U14 side, who came up against a strong Klub Kildare outfit. While the scoreline did not reflect the effort shown by the boys, the game provided another valuable learning experience as they continue their development.

WU17 | Sligo Rovers 2-2 Longford Town

A solid display from the WU17s saw the girls earn a valuable point against an impressive Longford Town side.

Coming into the game on the back of a 3-2 victory away to Drogheda last week, confidence was high, and the girls made the perfect start when Farry opened the scoring with a fine finish in the ninth minute.

Both teams continued to create chances, with Longford responding through a well-worked equaliser before taking the lead just before half-time.

Rovers responded well after the break, with the in-form Farry grabbing her second of the game to level the scores once again. The remainder of the match was a closely contested affair, with both defences standing firm against some dangerous attacking play as the sides ultimately had to settle for a share of the spoils.

The point leaves the girls joint top of the table ahead of next Saturday’s away trip to Finn Harps, where they will be hoping to continue their strong start to the season.

Tom Lavery