SF Qualifier: Red Hands canter past Yeats men

August 01, 2015

Sligo's Daniel Maye tackles Sean Cavanagh of Tyrone during the All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Round 4B clash at Croke Park.
©INPHO/Cathal Noonan.

Tyrone were too strong for Sligo in a low-quality Round 4B Qualifier at Croke Park, 0-21 to 0-14.

The result means that Mickey Harte's men - who've won four matches in a row since losing to Donegal - are through to an All-Ireland SFC quarter-final, wherein they will meet either Monaghan or Mayo next weekend.

For the manager, it's ten quarter-finals in 13 years - an amazing record! With top scorer Darren McCurry on target five times in the first half, the victors led by double scores at the interval, 0-12 to 0-6.

Edendork ace McCurry opened the scoring from a third-minute free after Neil Ewing's foul on Sean Cavanagh but David Kelly quickly had the underdogs level with a nice score from play. Midfielder Mattie Donnelly (2), McCurry ('45', free) and Connor McAliskey added to Tyrone's tally, with Pat Hughes on target at the other end as the northerners led by six points to two after twelve minutes.

The next six points were shared: Cian Breheny and Mark Breheny (2) pointed for the westerners, while Mark Bradley, Rory Brennan and Cavanagh all got on the scoresheet for the Red Hands. It was double scores when Aidan Devaney opted to fist McCurry's effort over his own bar eight minutes from the break and McCurry's fifth score of the game left six between them.

Hughes closed the gap with his second but Cavanagh fisted over the final score of a fairly one-sided opening period.

Adrian Marren's free from the hands opened the second-half scoring and Mark Breheny closed the gap to four from another free before Mark Bradley opened the winners' second-half account when he took his point with a goal chance on. Turning down goals was one of the features of Tyrone's play today. McCurry executed a fabulous catch and kick to restore his side's six-point cushion but Mark Breheny replied instantly from play.

Goalkeeper Niall Morgan drilled over a sweet long-distance free and Breheny traded points with Cavanagh before a flurry of points from Colm Cavanagh, McCurry and Peter Harte stretched the gap to nine with twelve minutes left.

McCurry and Breheny traded frees and Donnelly fired over his third for the winners after Hughes and Niall Murphy landed late consolation scores. Marren's free closed the scoring as Tyrone prevailed at their absolute ease.

Tyrone - N Morgan (0-1f); A McCrory, R McNamee, R Brennan (0-1); R McNabb, Joe McMahon, P Harte (0-1); C Cavanagh (0-1), M Donnelly (0-3); T McCann, M Bradley (0-2), C Meyler; D McCurry (0-8, 4f, 1'45), S Cavanagh (0-3), C McAliskey (0-1). Subs: C McCann for C Meyler, P McNulty for M Bradley, Justin McMahon for Joe McMahon, D McBride for C Cavanagh, R O'Neill for C McAliskey, C Clarke for M Donnelly.

Sligo - A Devaney; R Donavan, S Gilmartin, D Maye; K Cawley, B Egan, E Flanagan; C Breheny (0-1), N Murphy (0-1); B Curran, M Breheny (0-6, 3f), N Ewing; D Kelly (0-1), P Hughes (0-3), A Marren (0-2f). Subs: K McDonnell for C Breheny, J Hynes for S Gilmartin, C Davey for N Ewing, L Bree for D Maye, K Sweeney for P Hughes.

Referee - R Hickey.


Most Read Stories