Carlow's five-match championship odyssey came to an anticlimactic end at Dr Cullen Park on Saturday as visitors Sligo carried far too much class and scoring power for an under-performing home side.

The mood in the Carlow camp was buoyant before the game and hopes were high among the big local support in the attendance of 5,000. However, this first ever championship meeting between these two counties proved a one-sided affair, with the men from the west in control almost throughout.

Peter Ford's side came roaring out of the blocks to take control of the match from the offset, and they held the lead from beginning to end.

Sligo captain Paul Taylor proved a source of inspiration for his side, scoring four firsthalf points and being the major play-maker as his side assembled a comfortable 0-8 to 0-3 interval lead.

The Sligo full-forward line of Dessie Sloyane, John McPartland and Gerry McGowan had all made the score-sheet by the interval. In fact, a total of eight players, including all six starting forwards, contributed to Sligo's tally.

The visitors put the game firmly beyond Carlow midway through the second half when they scored both their goals in the space of six minutes.

Fifteen minutes into the half, with Sligo holding a double scores lead, a ball was pumped in from midfield which broke off a cluster of players in the Carlow goal-mouth. The onrushing Sean Davey gratefully snapped up possession to crack the ball into the Carlow net. Sligo's second goal was a simple affair as a loose, hopping ball was fisted past the advancing Carlow goalkeeper Paudge McGrath by Sloyane.

At that stage the game was over for Carlow, but Pat Roe's side refused to give up and had the consolation of two late goals from John McGrath, the first a smashing close-range effort.

After the match, Carlow coach Roe said his side had suffered "a collective off-day", while Ford was very pleased with the victory and a place in the next round, saying he was unconcerned about who his side draws next Sunday.