Sligo fightback runs out of time as Tyrone hold on in Christy Ring clash
Christy Ring Cup: Tyrone 2-17 Sligo 2-14
Tyrone came away with the win
A much improved second-half performance saw hosts Sligo just run out of time against Tyrone in the Christy Ring Cup in Markievicz Park.
Two second-half goals from Rory McHugh and a missed penalty saw Stephen Shiel’s men bring it back to three, but the visitors did enough to emerge victorious.
Stevie McGarry’s Tyrone finished the game with 13 men due to a black card on keeper Conor McElhatton and Ruairí Devlin receiving a second yellow in the second half, but despite this, they clung on.
Tyrone were leading comfortably at half-time with eight points to the good, but it was much improved from the Yeats County in the second period.
Sligo, who have lost all three games so far in the campaign, were against the breeze in the opening half as Tyrone went into an early lead.
Free-taker Aidan Kelly was Tyrone’s leading scorer, finishing with a nine-point tally, while Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch hit seven of Sligo’s scores, one from play.
Seán Óg Grogan gave Tyrone a five-point lead eight minutes in hitting the net as they led by 1-8 to 0-6 at the break. Óg Grogan again got their second goal right after the interval.
Sligo substitute Conor Hannify and O’Kelly-Lynch chipped away at Tyrone’s lead before Rory McHugh, with a monstrous free from inside his own half, hit the back of the net, giving Sligo a lifeline on 51 minutes.
A long ball in from O’Kelly-Lynch saw McHugh fouled with the penalty awarded, the shot going over the bar as six separated them.
It was McHugh again that passed to Conor Griffin, who was fouled – another Sligo penalty, this time converted by McHugh, but it wasn’t enough, a late chance from his brother Joe McHugh hitting the side netting as Tyrone ran out winners.
SCORERS - Tyrone: S Óg Grogan 2-0; A Kelly 0-9 (7f); J McCann 0-3; S Duffin 0-2; B Gormley, T Morgan, M Little 0-1 each. Sligo: R McHugh 2-2 (pen); G O’Kelly-Lynch 0-7 (6f); T Cawley, C Hannify 0-2 each; J McHugh 0-1.
TYRONE: C McElhatton, D Rafferty, F Devlin (C), A Crossan, B Gormley, C Munroe, B McGurk, J McCann, S Duffin, L Devlin, A Kelly, T Morgan, J McToal, S Óg Grogan, M Little. Subs: R Devlin for Crossan (53), R Weir for McToal (56), C Molloy for Morgan (64), M McClean for Óg Grogan (74).
SLIGO: D Reidy, D Cawley, G Connolly, K O’Kennedy (C), F Connolly, R McHugh, N Kilcullen, D Hanley, E Rua McGowan, J McHugh, T O’Kelly-Lynch, M Munnelly, T Cawley, C Griffin, G O’Kelly-Lynch. Subs: C Hannify for Munnelly (46), D Flynn for T O’Kelly-Lynch (69), O Hennessy for D Cawley (70).
Referee: J Judge (Mayo).
