Galway ... 1-13 Sligo IT ... 0-9Galway introduced a batch of new faces but they weren't really tested by the Sligo team who failed for long periods to get quality ball to their forwards.

Sligo IT scored first through a Nicky Joyce free and it was all one-sided after that as the Galway midfield pair of Diarmuid Blake and Michael Cloherty took control.

Points from Derry O'Brien, Tommy Joyce, Paul Clancy, Michael Higgins and Declan Meehan put Galway into an unassailable lead.

Galway could even afford to miss a penalty when dual star Alan Kerins was brought down in the square but Tommy Joyce's effort was easily saved by Paul Durcan.

GALWAY: A Keane; B Dooney, K Fitzgerald, T Meehan; M Comer, R Fahey, S de Paor (0-1); M Cloherty, D Blake; D Meehan (0-2), T Joyce (0-3), A Kerins (0-1); M Higgins (1-1), P Clancy (0-1), D O'Brien (0-3. Subs: E Killeen (0-1) for Higgins; P Geraghty for Dooney; T Carton for O'Brien; N Connelly for Fahey.

SLIGO IT: P Durcan; K Lacey, P Kelly, E Smith; B Dunnion, G Mockler, C Cafferkey; P Harte (0-1), M Smith; M Doherty, P Finlay, A O'Malley; D Warde, N Joyce (0-5), M Moyles (0-1). Subs: B Loftus for O'Malley; S O'Neill (0-1) for McCafferkey; J Duggan for Doherty; J McLoughlin (0-1) for Warde.

Referee: M Collins (Mayo).