Tyrone v Sligo Sat 1st August 2015 Croke Park - 13 years on

[Fuzzman]

I heard Lyster say Galway play Donegal so we must get Mayo or Sligo then.

The draw has been very fair to us this year in fairness.
Is it likely to be double header with Galway & Donegal on one day as opposed to half empty stadium both days.

[omagh_gael]

Would be a ball of shite if these games were a double header in Croker. Tyrone v Sligo in Brewster and Donegal v Galway in Sligo would be far better.

[Aaron Boone]

Might be 20,000 tops if it were double-header in Croker. The crowd will be lost.

[ONeill]

Still haunted by Sligo '02.

O'Hara the inspiration as Sligo storm back to outshoot Tyrone

SLIGO 1-14; TYRONE 0-12

THEY looked dead and buried after 20 minutes, but super Sligo stormed back in Lazarus-like fashion to shatter Tyrone's All-Ireland dream in this absorbing and intensely combative All-Ireland fourth round qualifier.

In the initial 20 minutes, Tyrone had played virtually all the football at Croke Park yesterday. They were tight at the back, in command at midfield, and their incisive and imaginative play up front with the Canavan brothers, Peter and Pascal, and Stephen O'Neill excelling constantly had the alarm bells ringing loudly in the beleaguered Sligo defence.

Not for the first time Peter Canavan underlined what a selfless player he is by often setting up scores for teammates when they were only marginally better placed than himself.

And he demonstrated his class, when, though fouled as he kicked the ball, he still managed to place midfielder Cormac McAnallen for Tyrone's sixth point.

With the exception of Sligo fans, the speed, mobility, cohesion and interplay of the Tyrone attack was a joy to watch, and the Ulster side were far from flattered by their 0-8 to 0-2 lead.

After 22 minutes, centre half-forward Dara McGarty provided some hope for the Connacht runners-up with a splendid point from almost the 45-metre line. But four minutes later the status quo was restored with a pointed free by Peter Canavan.

In contrast to the fluidity and imagination of the Tyrone play, far too much of Sligo's football was characterised by an aimless dimension, with many players frequently hoofing the ball up the field, rather than attempting to play the ball to a team-mate.

During this period of Tyrone dominance, the only Sligo player who looked on an equal footing with the opposition was midfielder Eamonn O'Hara, whose undoubted class, composure and vision shone out like a bright beacon.

O'Hara's lightning pace, allied to his excellent ball-winning ability and capability to sidestep opposing players, frequently enabled him to hurt Tyrone, and he showed the way for his team-mates by shooting two super long-range points, in addition to being very unlucky with another attempt. Bit by bit, the Sligo players began to follow the example of their inspirational skipper, particularly the likes of Nigel Clancy and David Durkin in defence, O'Hara's midfield partner Paul Durcan, and Dara McGarty, Kieran Quinn and Dessie Sloyan up front.

And it's a telling indication of the massive improvement in Sligo's level of performance that after Tyrone's ninth point, the northerners managed to add only a meagre three points to their total in the remaining 51 minutes. Of course, the warning signs were evident for Tyrone before the interval break.

After the League champions' ninth point, Sligo rocked them with four points on the trot, O'Hara fittingly leading the surge, followed by Mark Brehony, McGarty and Quinn.

In fact, Tyrone were decidely fortunate that Sligo had not pulled back to parity, rather than trailing 0-7 to 0-9 at half-time, as Quinn could well have found the net after being deftly set up by Sloyan.

But with only goalkeeper Peter Ward to beat, he blazed the ball over the bar. On the re-start, Sligo, who began with six personnel changes from the side beaten by Galway in the Connacht final, moved into an even higher gear.

The supply lines to the Canavans and O'Neill were almost entirely cut off, due to the increasing influences of Durcan and O'Hara over McAnallen and Colin Holmes, and of the Sligo half-back line of Noel McGuire, Nigel Clancy and David Durkin over Declan McCrossan, Pascal Canavan and Brian Dooher.

But, in addition to that very significant development, the Sligo defence and midfield started moving the ball around with similar fluidity and inventiveness to Tyrone in the first half, with the result that the Ulster side were often left chasing shadows.

It was a similar story in the battle between the Sligo attack and the Tyrone defence. In the first 20 minutes, the Sligo attacking unit had shown little flair and penetration, but in the second half they played with tremendous understanding, energy and panache.

The first seven minutes of the second half saw Tyrone outscore their opponents by three points to one to move 0-12 to 0-8 in front.

But from that point on, the Red Hands' fans were almost totally silenced, such was the grip that Sligo exerted on the contest.

Appropriately, it was the inspirational O'Hara who initiated the Sligo recovery, pointing from over 45 metres nine minutes into the second half. Twelve minutes later the Connacht men levelled at 0-12 each.

But they should not have had to wait that long, as Gerry McGowan, after being set up by a measured 60-metre delivery from John McPartland, shot wide from 11 metres, with only goalkeeper Ward to beat.

With eight minutes left on the clock, the Westerners delivered the knock-out blow. Dessie Sloyan blasted the ball to the roof of the net, after McGowan's point attempt had struck the left post.

Almost immediately, Sligo should have found the Tyrone net for the second time, but McGowan inexplicably chose to go it alone, when Sloyan was unmarked in front of the goal screaming for a pass, and punched the ball against the left post.

In the dying seconds, the northern outfit had a chance to put more respectability on the scoreboard, but vigilant Sligo defending blocked a goal attempt by McAnallen.

It was a shattered Tyrone side that trooped off the field, but at least they can take some consolation at contributing to a rivetting contest which provided tremendous value for money.

Indeed, the only downside was once again the standard of refereeing, with many of John Bannon's decisions being extremely baffling.

Frequently players who were being fouled were penalised by the match official, who, like most other referees, allowed players to kick frees and line balls yards from the appropriate spot.

SCORERS Sligo: D Sloyan 1-3 (2f); D McGarty 0-4; E O'Hara 0-3; P Durcan, M Brehony, K Quinn and G McGowan (f) 0-1 each. Tyrone: Peter Canavan 0-6 (3f); Pascal Canavan and S O'Neill 0-2 each; C McAnallen and B McGuigan 0-1 each.

TEAMS AND RATINGS

SLIGO J Curran 7; P Naughton 6, B Philips 7, M Cosgrove 5; N McGuire 6, N Clancy 8, D Durkin 7; P Durcan 8, E O'Hara 9; J McPartland 7, K Quinn 7, D McGarty 8; M Brehony 6, D Sloyan 8, G McGowan 6. Subs: N Carew 7 for Cosgrove (25), P Taylor 5 for Brehony (46), S Davey no rating for Quinn (65), J Davey no rating for Taylor (70). Yellow Cards: P Durcan (25), P Naughton (26), D Sloyan (63).

TYRONE P Ward 7; C Gormley 5, C Lawn 6, B Robinson 6; R McMenamin 5, C McGinley 5, P Jordan 6; C McAnallen 7, C Holmes 5; B Dooher 6, Pascal Canavan 6, D McCrossan 5; B McGuigan 5, S O'Neill 7, Peter Canavan 8. Subs: C Gourley 5 for Gormley (ht), K Hughes 5 no rating for McGuigan (54), G Cavlan 5 for Pascal Canavan (61), E Mulligan no rating for McCrossan (64).

REF J Bannon (Longford).

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/ohara-the-inspiration-as-sligo-storm-back-to-outshoot-tyrone-26042023.html

http://inpho.ie/assignment/Football-Qualifier-Tyrone-21-7-2002/DzA38a66wNHplH7ZcrTn1A..a

[From the Bunker]

The back door is the last thing Sligo needs after today, especially against Tyrone!

[In hiding]

So tyrone could get to an All Ireland semi final by beating Limerick, Meath, Tipperary, Sligo and Monaghan...

And I thought Kerry had an easy path

[sligoman2]

Hard to care about this after today

[Wear The Fox Hat]

the last thing sligo players needed after todays performance is to now know they will have to delete their facebook and twitter accounts.

[ONeill]

So, who do the winners of the Sligo/Tyrone v Monaghan quarter play?

[clarshack]

So, who do the winners of the Sligo/Tyrone v Monaghan quarter play?

kerry?

[Hound]

So, who do the winners of the Sligo/Tyrone v Monaghan quarter play?

Handy route again for Kerry to AI final. Only have to peak in September !

[ONeill]

Monaghan will give Kerry bother.

Back to Sligo - probable venue?

[Wildweasel74]

Tyrone will put 15pts on Sligo!

[ONeill]

So, if Galway beat Donegal and Tyrone beat Sligo, Tyrone play Mayo.

[Hound]

So, if Galway beat Donegal and Tyrone beat Sligo, Tyrone play Mayo.

If Donegal beat Galway (most likely) and Tyrone beat Sligo (dead cert) then presumably it's Monaghan v Tyrone and Mayo v Donegal ?