In Sligo football things have never been other than hopeful, even when there was little cause for hope. Recent developments have given some substance to the hope that springs eternal and, on Sunday in Longford this will be face its most potent challenge when Sligo take on Armagh in the quarter-final of the National League.

An astonishing victory over Mayo in the Connacht under-21 semi-final replay at Markievicz Park on Monday, after a draw in Ballina on Saturday, has sent shock waves through Connacht football. It wasn't that Sligo won but the margin of their victory - 15 points - which set the tongues wagging. Among those surprised, though delighted, was Eamon O'Hara, a central cog in the Sligo senior team's wheel at the moment. "I believe that it was touch and go in Ballina but Sligo ran riot in Markievicz Park and it has given a great boost to the senior side for Sunday," he says.

He sees a bright future. "We are now in the first division and in a league quarter-final as well as in a Connacht under-21 final. In that kind of a situation we have many players who are anxious to play for the county and (team manager) Mickey Moran is just the man to make the most of that.

"He has a great effect on players at all levels and if he wants to say something he says it in plain English and everybody knows the score. He's a very shrewd man and gets things done without any fuss. The players respect him for that. He has instilled a new confidence in the side and people are responding," O'Hara says.

Surprisingly, the team does not have even one player from Sligo town. "I suppose it is because soccer has a big hold in the town but I believe that we will soon have town-based players coming forward. At the moment one of our best players in the senior side is Sean Flannery, who is on the books of Sligo Rovers, so his first responsibility is to them but we'll have him for the championship.

"There are other young lads coming through from Summerhill College so the future is bright enough," he says.

He regards Armagh as very strong side. an McGeeney, Paul McGrane, Diarmuid Marsden and Oisin McConville."We have a real fight on our hands but we have gained a lot of confidence from winning promotion to the first division and we are determined to build on this solid foundation," O'Hara says with a confidence which has not always been a strong point in Sligo.