Young guns star as Tipp edge Sligo

GAA: Tailteann Cup Senior Football Round 1

Sligo 1-2-8 (15)

Tipperary 0-4-9 (17)

Report: Stephen Barry at Markievicz Park, Sligo

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Joe Higgins (Tipperary)

SCORERS – Sligo: Niall Murphy (1 free), Pat Spillane (2x2play) 0-4 each; Lee Deignan 1-0; Gavin Gorman, Darragh Cummins, Alan McLoughlin (free), Shane Deignan 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Seán O’Connor 0-6 (2x2play); Charlie King, Micheál Freaney (2play), Cian Smith (1 free), Daithí Hogan (2play) 0-2 each; Emmet Moloney, Joe Higgins, Eoin Craddock 0-1 each.

Tipperary got their Tailteann Cup campaign off to a winning start by overturning familiar foes Sligo at Markievicz Park.

Seán O’Connor scored six points from play as the Premier dictated the kick-out battle and managed the clock well before holding off a late comeback against a trio of two-point equaliser efforts.

Eoin Craddock was drafted into the Tipp team for Kieran Costello, who was ill, joining Killian Butler and Micheál Freaney in the half-forward line. Their bench was boosted by the returns to fitness of Steven O’Brien, Luke Boland, and Jimmy Feehan, who was togging out for the first time this year.

Backed by the wind, the visitors booted four first-half orange flags. They began with five unanswered points. O’Connor’s handpassed effort was followed by Freaney and Daithí Hogan two-pointers. Charlie King played a key role in two of those scores.

Shane Deignan got Sligo on the board in the eighth minute. Cian Smith kicked an immediate response.

Tipp could’ve hammered home their advantage in the fourteenth minute. O’Connor intercepted a short kick-out and went for the jugular, only to drill across the goal and wide from a tight angle.

Sligo had three of the next four scores, with Niall Murphy converting from play and a free. Tipp’s reply was an O’Connor two-pointer.

A Craddock fisted score and a sublime second orange flag from O’Connor, slaloming past the tight-marking Luke Casserly to split the posts, moved Tipp seven clear.

Sligo closed with a well-timed goal. From a quick sideline, Alan McLoughlin, Ross Doherty, and Murphy were involved before Lee Deignan sent the ball through Shane Garland’s legs. The lead was slashed to 0-11 against 1-4 at the break.

Into the second half, the first five Sligo attacks ended in four wides and an Eoin O’Connell block. King skinned two defenders to punch over Tipp’s sole shot of the opening ten minutes.

Gavin Gorman got Sligo going, but a 50-metre advancement cost them a point, to Smith, and O’Connor added his sixth. Emmet Moloney helped to protect Tipp’s six-point cushion with their next score.

They controlled the clock with some patient possession play and were helped by Sligo butchering the final pass for two goal chances.

A Murphy point was cancelled out by a fine effort from standout midfielder Joe Higgins.

Sligo got back within one score with nine minutes to play. Pat Spillane’s high, hanging two-pointer was followed by a close-range Murphy single for 0-16 to 1-10.

Charlie King showed his pace to settle Tipp with a point, but Spillane’s second orange flag made it a two-point game with three minutes remaining.

They had three attempts for an equaliser, but McLoughlin fired wide before Murphy (free) and Spillane shots dropped short.

TEAMS – Sligo: Aidan Devaney; Jack Lavin, Luke Casserly, Tommy Ross; Daire O’Boyle, Conor Sheridan, James Donlon; Gavin Gorman, Darragh Cummins; Ross Doherty, Alan McLoughlin, Lee Deignan; Cian Lally, Niall Murphy (Capt), Shane Deignan.

Subs: Paul Kilcoyne for Gorman (23-24, blood); David Quinn for S Deignan (43); Pat Spillane for O’Boyle (49); Eddie McGuinness for Donlon (56); Kyle Cawley for Lally (58); Mark McDaniel for Cummins (65).

Tipperary: Shane Garland (Kilsheelan/Kilcash); Mark Corcoran (Clonmel Commercials), Eoin O’Connell (Loughmore/Castleiney), Jack O’Neill (Ardfinnan); Emmet Moloney (Portlaoise), James Morris (Clonmel Commercials), Charlie King (Ballina); Joe Higgins (Clonmel Commercials), Paudie Feehan (Killenaule, Capt); Killian Butler (Moyle Rovers), Micheál Freaney (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), Eoin Craddock (Holycross/Ballycahill); Cian Smith (Clonmel Commercials), Seán O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials), Daithí Hogan (St Patrick’s).

Subs: Darragh O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials) for Higgins (29-33, blood); Paddy Creedon (Thurles Sarsfields) for Smith (56); Luke Boland (Moyle Rovers) for Butler (59); Steven O’Brien (Ballina) for Craddock (69).

Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone).