Late Sligo surges sends Tipp home empty-handed

GAA: Tailteann Cup Group 1 Round 1

Sligo 2-15

Tipperary 2-10

Report: Stephen Barry at Kilcoyne Memorial Park, Tubbercurry

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Alan McLoughlin (Sligo)

SCORERS – Sligo: Alan McLoughlin 1-3 (0-2 frees); Pat Spillane 1-2; Patrick O’Connor, David Quinn, Alan Reilly, Niall Murphy 0-2 each; Ross Doherty, Darragh Cummins 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Seán O’Connor 1-4 (1-0 penalty, 0-2 frees); Steven O’Brien 0-3 (1x2pt); Paudie Feehan 1-0; Mark Stokes, Micheál Freaney (mark), Cian Smith 0-1 each.

A persistent Tipperary challenge was trumped by Sligo’s six-point closing streak in their Tailteann Cup first-round encounter at a damp Tubbercurry on Sunday.

The sides were level with twenty minutes to play after the Premier exploited a pair of black cards to reel in their hosts. However, Sligo had more gas left in the tank once restored to the full compliment.

That said, Tipp had their chances too. Seán O’Connor had a shot saved, and Micheál Freaney struck the crossbar when a goal would’ve tied the game entering the closing stages. But they wouldn’t add to Paudie Feehan and O’Connor’s first-half goals as Sligo held out.

With Markievicz Park out of commission due to reseeding works, a crowd of 1,949 packed the stand in Tubbercurry.

There was a change on the Tipp sideline, too, as coach Martin O’Brien stood in for Philly Ryan following his hip replacement surgery.

The team showed four switches from the Munster semi-final defeat to Clare; three of those were new faces as Manus McFadden, Jack O’Neill, and recent under 20 call-up Daithí Hogan were handed their first championship starts. Hogan was a late replacement for Mikey O’Shea as he lined up alongside fit-again O’Connor on the inside line.

O’Connor got off to a rough start as he picked the ball off the ground and then threw it away in protest at referee Seán Hurson’s decision. The free was advanced fifty metres, but Alan McLoughlin’s two-point attempt fell short.

Tipp’s prospects quickly improved from there. Paudie Feehan identified a height mismatch in the square as he floated the ball into the danger area. Sligo keeper Daniel Lyons misjudged it entirely as it flew untouched into the net.

Hogan and O’Connor linked up for the Commercials man to extend their fast start for 1-1 to no-score.

Home captain Niall Murphy curled over a settler, but would depart injured midway through the half. Steven O’Brien broke through for an immediate reply.

Cian Lally, playing with advantage, flashed a shot wide of the goal before McLoughlin’s tap-over free. Mark Stokes punished a Sligo error, before Murphy and McLoughlin landed their second points.

Steven O’Brien came up with an outrageous score after claiming a kick-out. From the solo-and-go, he spun back onto his right for a monster two-pointer. That score-of-the-weekend contender made it 1-5 to 0-4. Tipp wouldn’t score again for 23 minutes.

David Quinn’s brace and Alan Reilly cut the gap before Sligo struck for a 23rd minute goal. Jimmy Feehan produced a superb block on McLoughlin but the corner-forward fed Pat Spillane to drill home the second attempt.

After a towering Patrick O’Connor point, Sligo raised another green flag in the 33rd minute when Quinn sent McLoughlin slicing through the defence. Reilly’s second made it 2-5 without reply but Tipp rallied in the four minutes of stoppage time.

Seán O’Connor won and converted a free before a sharp move instigated by McFadden and O’Connor resulted in Kieran Costello being cynically hauled down. Hurson sin-binned Eddie McGuinness and awarded a penalty. O’Connor picked out the bottom corner from the spot to leave three in the difference, 2-9 to 2-6, at half-time.

O’Connor knocked over another free on the restart before substitute Shane Deignan followed McGuinness off for a ten-minute cooldown, having checked O’Neill’s off-the-ball run.

Micheal Freaney converted a mark against the thirteen-man opposition and Cian Smith levelled after Sligo’s ranks had risen to fourteen.

But back to a full complement, Sligo pulled away. Pat Spillane got on the end of two goal chances and fired both over. Darragh Cummins did the same when through. Mark Russell and Luke Boland foiled further opportunities for Paul Kilcoyne and Quinn. Patrick O’Connor, McLoughlin, and Ross Doherty also pointed.

In between, Daithi Hogan fed Seán O’Connor but Lyons advanced quickly to block his awkward attempt. Then, Freaney pushed Stokes’ cross onto the woodwork. Somehow, the ball didn’t cross the line.

Sean O’Connor finished as top scorer with the final point taking his tally to 1-4.

See full report, analysis and reaction in this Wednesday's Nenagh Guardian.

TEAMS – Sligo: Daniel Lyons; Nathan Mullin, Evan Lyons, Paul McNamara; Brian Cox, Eddie McGuinness, Luke Towey; Paul Kilcoyne, Patrick O’Connor; Cian Lally, David Quinn, Alan Reilly; Alan McLoughlin, Niall Murphy, Pat Spillane.

Subs: Shane Deignan for Murphy (23 inj); Donal Conlon for Deignan (49); Darragh Cummins for Kilcoyne (53); Ross Doherty for Cox (61); Mikey Gordon for Reilly (65).

Tipperary: Shane Ryan (Clonmel Commercials); Manus McFadden (Grangemockler/Ballyneale), Jack Harney (Moyle Rovers), Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule); Mark Stokes (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Luke Boland (Moyle Rovers), Jack O’Neill (Ardfinnan); Paudie Feehan (Killenaule), Kieran Costello (Thurles Sarsfields); Micheál Freaney (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Cian Smith (Clonmel Commercials), Steven O’Brien (Ballina, Capt); Daithí Hogan (St Patrick’s), Darragh Brennan (Ballyporeen), Seán O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials).

Subs: Mikey O’Shea (CJ Kickhams Mullinahone) for Brennan (32); Mark Russell (Aherlow) for O’Neill (46); Emmet Moloney (Portlaoise) for Harney (50 inj); James Morris (Clonmel Commercials) for P Feehan (61); Ben Comerford (Grangemockler/Ballyneale) for Hogan (70).

Referee: Seán Hurson (Tyrone).