Tipperary v Sligo Semple Staduim 3PM throw in Saturday 11th July

[magpie seanie]

Has been playing midifeld alright and doing fairly well. Very hard to gauge from club games whether the fitness is fully there but he looks in good nick and didn't struggle at all. As well as I've seen him playing for the club in a couple of years. He will be capable of doing a good job around the HF line for 20-30 minutes at least.

Team along expected lines. Looking forward to it but know this will be a seriously hard game to win.

[SLIGONIAN]

Jees the nerves are at me big time now , hope a big Sligo crowd is there. Best of Luck, from the start boys, from the start.

[SLIGONIAN]

I am relieved man, Congrats to all. Great win.

Look forward to the reports, 1-10 to 0-4 up at one stage and let it slip is a bit of a worry but I would of taken a 1pt win before the game.

Sounds like a big Sligo Support there. Fair play.

[SLIGONIAN]

Sunday Independant report, jackie cahill,

SLIGO 1-13

TIPPERARY 1-12

SLIGO bounced back from their Connacht championship heartbreak as they edged past Tipperary in yesterday's All-Ireland SFC Round 2 Qualifier at Semple Stadium.

The Yeats County lost by four points to Galway at Markievicz Park a fortnight ago but Kevin Walsh's outfit extended their championship interest by at least another week with this one-point victory against hosts Tipp.

Sligo were left hanging on at the finish, having led by nine points early in the second half. With 44 minutes on the watch, Sligo looked home and hosed as they led by 1-11 to 0-5, but a spirited Tipp revival fell just short.

The home side outscored their opponents 1-8 to 1-3 in the second half but they couldn't get level as Damian O'Brien fluffed a glorious late chance to tie the game.

Tipp, winners of Division 3 this year, found themselves 0-10 to 0-4 behind against Division 4 kingpins Sligo at half-time as corner-forwards Adrian Marren and David Kelly ran riot for the visitors.

Marren hit four points and Kelly added two as Sligo used the first-half wind advantage to good effect, with Tipp restricted to four Barry Grogan points.

Slippy ground conditions favoured forward players and Kelly turned provider two minutes after the restart for Stephen Coen, a late call-up to the side, who netted at the Town End for Sligo. As rain fell incessantly, Tipp looked down and out, but they hung in there and outscored Sligo by 1-6 to 0-1 in a real purple patch from the 46th to the 64th minutes.

Brian Mulvihill's goal 13 minutes from time breathed fresh life into Tipp's challenge before Hugh Coghlan's point cut the gap back to the bare minimum, 1-12 to 1-11, with six minutes remaining.

Sub O'Brien had a glorious chance to level matters four minutes from the end but, caught in two minds as he wondered whether to shoot or pass, his effort dropped short.

Michael McNamara then bombed forward for a 68th-minute score as Sligo ended a 15-minute scoreless spell with a crucial point.

Coghlan responded again but the clock ran out on Tipperary, who will nevertheless take great heart from a year which saw them gain promotion to Division 2.

Sligo, who boast a decent Qualifier record in recent years, march on and find themselves in the hat for tonight's Round 3 draw after bouncing back from that Connacht semi-final reverse to Galway.

Scorers -- Sligo: A Marren 0-5 (1f), S Coen 1-1, D Kelly, M Breheny (1f) 0-2 each, M McNamara, T Taylor, A Costello 0-1 each. Tipperary: B Grogan 0-6 (4f), B Mulvihill 1-1, H Coghlan 0-2, B Coen, D O'Brien, A Fitzgerald 0-1 each

Sligo: P Greene; P McGovern, N McGuire, N Ewing; M McNamara, R Donovan, J Davey; E Mullen, T Taylor; M Breheny, A Costello, S Coen; D Kelly, E O'Hara, A Marren. Subs: D Davey for Costello (53), G Gaughan for Ewing (69), B Kivlehan for McNamara (69)

Tipperary: P Fitzgerald; P Codd, C McDonald, C Higgins; C Aylward, H Coghlan, R Costigan; G Hannigan, K Mulryan; S Carey, P Austin, B Mulvihill; B Fox, B Coen, B Grogan. Subs: D O'Brien for Carey (45), A Fitzgerald for Aylward (48), B Jones for Mulryan (56), J Cagney for Austin (68)

Referee: M Deegan (Laois)

Marren 4pts from play and Sligo with 1-11 from play, thats impressive no two ways about it.

[magpie seanie]

I left Thurles quite disappointed despite a result I would gladly have taken on the way down the road. Yes - conditions were very tough and we played some excellent football for over half the game but make no mistake, Tipp left this game behind them. We are in the next round draw because of some heroics by the likes of Donovan, O'Hara and Johnny Davey but largely due to Tipp making a balls of getting over the line. I suppose over the years we've come out on the wrong side of more close ones than the good side so maybe we deserved the bit of luck but it should not have come to this.

First half started with Cos hitting the ground running, setting the tone with a raking crossfield pass and a fine score. O'Hara cleaned up a serious amount of ball in the middle to give us the platform and David Kelly was motoring. He was hit great ball alright but his control (especially first touch) and use of possession were of the highest class. He won't get the credit he deserved but this was absolutely top notch corner forward play. Marren started jitterily (is that a word) ballooning a free and dropping another relatively easy chance just wide. However he then landed a raker and proceeded to follow it with several other beauties. Coen was also very lively as Tipps FB line did well to avoid conceding a goal. At the other end Ross Donovan was struggling badly and after his booking was moved off Grogan. To his credit, McNamara was really good in the first half, best I've seen him in ages. Breheny was also excellent in the first half, working hard and his ability to dispossess opponents was incredible. We could have been farther ahead at half time but the beautifully crafted goal early in the second hafl looked to have sealed the game. One Tipp wag behind us commented "there goes the double"!!!!!! but he spoke too soon. Tipp clipped over a few scores but Sligo still looked steady. Then a very strange substitution coincided with Sligo's complete collapse around the middle and the flow of the game changed entirely. It was obvious now that several lads were struggling after the first half efforts but the bench remained seated. Wave after wave of attacks rained in on the Sligo goals with Donovan turning round his poor form of the first half to be supreme. O'Hara was again magnificent, stationed around out HB line. Tipp's management spotted this and brought on an extra forward and even though O'Hara briefly went back up to FF, Tipp operated with 7 forwards for most of the final quarter. McGovern intercepted some crucial balls throughout and deserves mention. Tipps ineptitude at winning the game was encapsulated by the last action of the game. Given a free in midfield and backed by a gale force wind and rain instead of droping a long one in around the house (a levelling free surely would have followed) they kicked the ball backwards 15 yards and the ref said - "enough" and blew up.

On our best play we'd trouble anyone but we have to be very careful how we manage our resources throughout the hour. Making substitutions to give lads a run can come back to haunt you. Glad we got through. Is is home or away basis next round? Would love a Donaghy-less Kerry in Markievicz.

[SLIGONIAN]

I left Thurles quite disappointed despite a result I would gladly have taken on the way down the road. Yes - conditions were very tough and we played some excellent football for over half the game but make no mistake, Tipp left this game behind them. We are in the next round draw because of some heroics by the likes of Donovan, O'Hara and Johnny Davey but largely due to Tipp making a balls of getting over the line. I suppose over the years we've come out on the wrong side of more close ones than the good side so maybe we deserved the bit of luck but it should not have come to this.

First half started with Cos hitting the ground running, setting the tone with a raking crossfield pass and a fine score. O'Hara cleaned up a serious amount of ball in the middle to give us the platform and David Kelly was motoring. He was hit great ball alright but his control (especially first touch) and use of possession were of the highest class. He won't get the credit he deserved but this was absolutely top notch corner forward play. Marren started jitterily (is that a word) ballooning a free and dropping another relatively easy chance just wide. However he then landed a raker and proceeded to follow it with several other beauties. Coen was also very lively as Tipps FB line did well to avoid conceding a goal. At the other end Ross Donovan was struggling badly and after his booking was moved off Grogan. To his credit, McNamara was really good in the first half, best I've seen him in ages. Breheny was also excellent in the first half, working hard and his ability to dispossess opponents was incredible. We could have been farther ahead at half time but the beautifully crafted goal early in the second hafl looked to have sealed the game. One Tipp wag behind us commented "there goes the double"!!!!!! but he spoke too soon. Tipp clipped over a few scores but Sligo still looked steady. Then a very strange substitution coincided with Sligo's complete collapse around the middle and the flow of the game changed entirely. It was obvious now that several lads were struggling after the first half efforts but the bench remained seated. Wave after wave of attacks rained in on the Sligo goals with Donovan turning round his poor form of the first half to be supreme. O'Hara was again magnificent, stationed around out HB line. Tipp's management spotted this and brought on an extra forward and even though O'Hara briefly went back up to FF, Tipp operated with 7 forwards for most of the final quarter. McGovern intercepted some crucial balls throughout and deserves mention. Tipps ineptitude at winning the game was encapsulated by the last action of the game. Given a free in midfield and backed by a gale force wind and rain instead of droping a long one in around the house (a levelling free surely would have followed) they kicked the ball backwards 15 yards and the ref said - "enough" and blew up.

On our best play we'd trouble anyone but we have to be very careful how we manage our resources throughout the hour. Making substitutions to give lads a run can come back to haunt you. Glad we got through. Is is home or away basis next round? Would love a Donaghy-less Kerry in Markievicz.

Good report, Neutral venues for the next rd. How did Costello do after the start you mentioned? Was it the managements fault we collapsed or just tipp woke up? Disappointed you came out disappointed. Was there much Sligo support?

[magpie seanie]

Costello did fine. First half all the play tended to be don the other wing, into Kelly's corner so not on the ball a lot. Missed a(difficult) chance to slip someone in for a score with a less than perfect first touch. Second half he picked up quite a few breaks. Hit one floated pass over the top to Breheny that the later just didn't make in time (went out over sideline) and maybe that gave them the reason to do their pre-planned substitution. He played at left half forward from the start and his workrate was good but you won't get the best out of his footballing skills there. You'd know by him that his confidence has been rocked. Missed a few shots in first half, albeit from distance, that he normally sends over. The campaign is working it seems. It nearly cost us dear yesterday though.

I think we allowed Tipp back into the game and I'd feel out management didn't react quickly enough. The problem was lads that played very well in first half faded quickly and you have a lad who was poor in first (Donovan) being excellent in second.

Decent Sligo crowd but difficult to tell as practically everyone was in the same stand. Locals said they were expecting 5,000 and it seemed 50/50.

[SLIGONIAN]

Costello did fine. First half all the play tended to be don the other wing, into Kelly's corner so not on the ball a lot. Missed a(difficult) chance to slip someone in for a score with a less than perfect first touch. Second half he picked up quite a few breaks. Hit one floated pass over the top to Breheny that the later just didn't make in time (went out over sideline) and maybe that gave them the reason to do their pre-planned substitution. He played at left half forward from the start and his workrate was good but you won't get the best out of his footballing skills there. You'd know by him that his confidence has been rocked. Missed a few shots in first half, albeit from distance, that he normally sends over. The campaign is working it seems. It nearly cost us dear yesterday though.

I think we allowed Tipp back into the game and I'd feel out management didn't react quickly enough. The problem was lads that played very well in first half faded quickly and you have a lad who was poor in first (Donovan) being excellent in second.

Decent Sligo crowd but difficult to tell as practically everyone was in the same stand. Locals said they were expecting 5,000 and it seemed 50/50.

What campaign and secondly are you saying Costello getting taken off nearly cost us yday?