All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Round 2 – Tipperary v Sligo

GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Qualifiers Round 2 sponsored by Vodafone, Ulster Bank and Toyota

Sligo defeated Tipperary by 1-13 to 1-12 in Round 2 of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Qualifiers on Saturday in Semple Stadium Thurles.

Match Tracker

For more details on how the game went, check out the Live Match Tracker on the Tipperary GAA web site,

Match Reports

Sligo survive Tipp fightback

SLIGO 1-13 TIPPERARY 1-12

By JACKIE CAHILL at Semple Stadium for the Irish Independent newspaper

Sunday July 12 2009

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)

Tipperary 1-12 Sligo 1-13

From the GAA.ie web site

Kevin Walsh’s Sligo are in the draw for Round Two of the Qualifiers after a narrow win over Tipperary in Semple Stadium on Saturday. The Yeats men were in complete control in the first-half and led by 0-10 to 0-4 at the break having played the first 35 minutes with the wind at their backs. Adrian Marren scored four points for Sligo in the opening half, while David Kelly chipped in with two.

Sligo extended their lead on the resumption of play when Stephen Coen stole in for a goal. The inevitable comeback did arrive from Johnny Evans’ side, with a succession of points followed by a Brian Mulvihill goal. Mulvihill then added another point and the Premier men were just a point in arrears. However, Michael McNamara managed to steal up from defence and he put daylight between the sides at the death. Hugh Coghlan pulled one back for Tipp but it was too late.
Tipperary fightback comes too late against Sligo

Tipperary 1-12 Sligo 1-13

From the Breaking News.ie web site

Sligo showed their mettle today as they staved off a spirited comeback from Tipperary to advance in the All-Ireland football qualifiers. Sligo had the elements behind them early on at a wet and windy Semple Stadium and built a 0-10 to 0-4 half-time lead – with Adrian Marren and David Kelly leading the scoring. Tipp fell nine points behind courtesy of a Stephen Coen goal, only to rally with a flood of points and a well-taken goal from Brian Mulvihill. In the end, a late Michael McNamara point was the difference for Sligo. This clash of the reigning NFL Division 3 and 4 champions was the counties’ first ever Championship, and Tipperary’s higher divisional status had little sway as Sligo used the elements to build some match-winning momentum.

The Yeats men were without their captain Charlie Harrison due to a shoulder injury and brought Stephen Coen in as a late replacement for Sean Davey. Tipp lined out as selected during the week, with goalkeeper Paul Fitzgerald returning to the side after his involvement in last weekend’s win over Louth. Brian Mulvihill and Brian Fox swapped positions in attack. But Mulvihill and Fox had little influence on the play in the opening half as the Premier side stuttered in possession, gave away turnover after turnover and Sligo muscled their way into the lead. Barry Grogan hit two early points for the hosts and he proved to be Tipp’s only scorer in the first half. The sides were level on three occasions before Sligo hit six points in a row.

Tony Taylor, Adrian Marren (0-3), Coen and David Kelly were all on target during that purple patch for Kevin Walsh’s men. Sligo were grafting for their scores and that hard-working attitude helped them slip through for an early goal on the restart. Tipperary centre-back Hugh Coghlan was caught in possession and a swift delivery in towards the square saw Kelly feed Coen for a smart finish. Tipp were hoping to secure back-to-back Championship wins for the first time since 1998 and the concession of that goal sparked a revival from the home side. Points from Grogan, Damien O’Brien, Brian Coen and Aidan Fitzgerald were followed by an excellent 56th-minute goal from Mulvihill. He found the net after linking with Grogan who went on a mazy run in the build-up. Subsequent points from Mulvihill and Coghlan reduced the arrears to a single point and the tie was swinging in Tipp’s favour.

However, Damien O’Brien botched a two-on-one situation when a goal looked on and Sligo regrouped with McNamara foraging forward for a vital point. Coghlan made it a one-point game once again, in injury-time, but time ran out on Tipperary and Sligo, thanks largely to their first half efforts, will feature in tomorrow’s third round draw.

Team News

The Tipperary team to play Sligo in the second round of the All-Ireland Qualifiers at Semple Stadium next Saturday (Throw in 3.00pm) shows one change in personnel and one positional change plus a change in the substitutes list from the team that defeated Louth last Saturday evening.

Paul Fitzgerald returns to the goalkeeping potion in place of Matthew O’Donnell. Fitzgerald originally lost his place to O’Donnell for the Louth game but made a sensational return when O’Donnell was red carded for a foul after forty minutes. Fitzgerald’s return gives Ciaran Kendrick the chance to sit on the bench as substitute keeper.

Elsewhere Brian Mulvihill and Brian Fox switch places with Mulvihill now at left wing forward and Fox top of the right.

TIPPERARY (SF v Sligo) – Paul Fitzgerald (Fethard); Paddy Codd (Killenaule), Ciaran McDonald (Aherlow), Christopher Higgins (Galtee Rovers); Christopher Aylward (Clonmel Og), Hugh Coghlan (St. Vincents), Robbie Costigan (Cahir); George Hannigan (Shannon Rovers), Kevin Mulryan (J. K. Brackens); Sean Carey (Moyle Rovers), Philip Austin (Borrisokane), Brian Mulvihill (Moyle Rovers); Brian Fox (Eire Og Annacarty), Brian Coen (Fethard), Barry Grogan (Aherlow)

SLIGO (SF v Tipperary) – P Greene; P McGovern, N McGuire, N Ewing; M McNamara, R Donavan, J Davey; E Mullen, T Taylor; M Breheny, A Costello, S Davey; D Kelly, E O’Hara, A Marren.

Fixture Details

GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Qualifier Round 2
Saturday July 11th
Thurles 3.00pm
Tiobraid Árann v Sligeach
Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)
(E.T. if Necessary)

Match Preview

This is a novel championship pairing as Sligo, this year’s Division 4 League winners, take on Tipperary, who won Division 3.

2009 Championship

Limerick 1-11 Tipperary 1-9
Tipperary 2-10 Louth 1-12

Galway 1-13 Sligo 0-12