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Ken O'Halloran and Noel Galvin in action against Sligo. Donall Farmer/INPHO
AS IT HAPPENED

As It Happened: Cork v Sligo, All-Ireland SFC Round 4A qualifier

In the first of today’s showdowns in Tullamore, who was going to reach the quarter-finals?

WOULD CORK BOUNCE back from their Munster final mauling at the hands of Kerry?

Or would Sligo maintain their momentum after recent qualifier wins?

It was the first of a double-header of football qualifier games in Tullamore and we were following the action all the way.

As always, we’d love to hear your comments. Send them to fintan@thescore.ie, tweet them @TheScoreGAA, find us on Facebook, or leave a comment below.

RESULT: Cork 0-21 Sligo 1-11

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It’s a big day of Gaelic football action in Tullamore with Cork meeting Sligo at 5pm and Galway taking on Tipperary at 7pm. The Cork-Sligo match is our focus now as we build up to the throw-in. Welcome along to the coverage.

The Sky Sports cameras are at O’Connor Park today.

Here’s one man that will be shouting on Sligo today.

Here’s the Cork team named to start today.

CORK XV (v Sligo)

1. Ken O’Halloran (Bishopstown)

2. James Loughrey (Mallow)

3. Eoin Cadogan (Douglas)

4. Noel Galvin (Ballincollig)

5. Michael Shields (St. Finbarr’s – Captain)

6. Thomas Clancy (Clonakilty)

7. Brian O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCárthaigh)

8. Ian Maguire (St. Finbarr’s)

9. Aidan Walsh (Kanturk)

10. Paul Kerrigan (Nemo Rangers)

11. Mark Collins (Castlehaven)

12. Colm O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCárthaigh)

13. Colm O’Neill (Ballyclough)

14. Brian Hurley (Castlehaven)

15. Donal Óg Hodnett (O’Donovan Rossa)

SLIGO

1. Aidan Devaney
2. Ross Donovan
3. James Kilcullen
4. Neil Ewing
5. Charlie Harrison
6. Brendan Egan
7. Keelan Cawley
8. Kevin McDonnell
9. Adrian McIntyre
10. Brian Curran
11. Stephen Coen
12. Pat Hughes
13. Mark Breheny
14. Adrian Marren
15. David Kelly

Sligo manager Pat Flanagan

James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Cork boss Brian Cuthbert

Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

Positional changes on the Sligo team.

So who’s going to go forward to face Mayo in next Sunday’s All-Ireland quarter-final? Cork overwhelming favourites despite their Munster final mauling at the hands of Kerry but Sligo do have the momentum generated from recent qualifier wins over Wicklow and Limerick.

You have to go back to 2007 for the last championship meeting between Cork and Sligo. That quarter-final clash saw Cork claim a 1-11 to 0-8 win in that quarter-final tie in Croke Park.

Cork to play with a strong wind at their backs in the first-half.

Promising early Cork attack as they play direct ball forward but Charlie Harrison gets back to dispossess Paul Kerrigan.

Sligo 0-1 Cork 0-0: 2 mins – Early Sligo point from Mark Breheny.

Sligo 0-1 Cork 0-1: 3 mins – Cork draw level with a fine score from Colm O’Neill.

Early signs of Cork changing their style from the defeat to Kerry with more direct ball into their forwards, both Mark Collins and Colm O’Driscoll moving back to play defensive roles while Ken O’Halloran has varied his early kickouts.

Cork 0-2 Sligo 0-1: 7 mins – Patient Cork build up as Donal Og Hodnett releases Kerrigan and he scorches through before punching over a point.

Cork 0-3 Sligo 0-1: 8 mins – Now Hodnett gets on the scoresheet for Cork with a beautiful point. That score stemmed from a quick kickout at the other end from Ken O’Halloran.

James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

That’s a really poor free attempt by Sligo forward Adrian Marren as the ball tails wide.

At the other end Aidan Walsh hoofs a shot with his left foot across the goal to register a wide for Cork.

Cork very resolute and organised in defence in the early stages. They lead by two points with 12 minutes gone.

Cork prising open the Sligo defence but not putting the scores on the board. Kerrigan has the latest chance but the ball hits the post and falls wide.

Cork 0-4 Sligo 0-1: 15 mins – Hurley has switched with Hodnett, wins a free and then converts it to stretch Cork’s lead.

James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

The Sligo team

Cork 0-5 Sligo 0-1: 17 mins – Better attacking play from Cork as Walsh and O’Neill combine before the latter is fouled. O’Neill dusts himself down and pops over the resultant point.

Cork 0-6 Sligo 0-1: 19 mins – And now debutant Ian Maguire bangs a point high over the bar for Cork.

Cork 0-7 Sligo 0-1: 20 mins – Cork are really starting to make their supremacy tell now as Kerrigan clips over his second point of the match.

Cork 0-8 Sligo 0-1: 23 mins – Kerrigan again and Cork go seven clear.

Here’s one famous face in the crowd in Tullamore today. Suspect the second game is the one that Michael D is most interested in.

Cork 0-8 Sligo 0-2: 27 mins – That’s a little bit better from Sligo as Marren taps over a free.

Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

Donal Og Hodnett with Mark Breheny and Brian Curran

Cork have hit 8 scores from 14 shots so far while Sligo’s return is 2/7.

This sums up Cork’s improvements.

Cork 0-9 Sligo 0-2: 34 mins – Colm O’Neill spins away from Neil Ewing, cuts in from the right flank and fists over a point.

Cork 0-10 Sligo 0-2: 36 mins – O’Neill slots a ’45 and Cork go eight points clear.

Half-Time: Cork 0-10 Sligo 0-2

No doubt who’s in control at the break with Cork really impressive in the first-half as they have bounced back from the Munster final thrashing against Kerry.

Here’s the first-half scorers:

Cork: Colm O’Neill 0-4 (0-1f, 0-1 ’45), Paul Kerrigan 0-3, Brian Hurley, Donal Og Hodnett, Ian Maguire 0-1 each.

Sligo: Mark Breheny, Adrian Marren (0-1f) 0-1 each.

Interesting look at Cork’s shooting stats in the opening period.

Cork 0-11 Sligo 0-2: 37 mins – Aidan Walsh knocks over an early free in the second-half to stretch Cork’s lead.

Cork 0-12 Sligo 0-2: 38 mins – Cork ripping Sligo apart as O’Neill smashes over his fifth point of the game.

Here’s some of the key first-half stats from the game courtesy of Sky Sports:

Cork 0-13 Sligo 0-3: 39 mins – Points swapped as O’Neill hits off his right for Cork and then Harrison bangs over a vital point for Sligo.

Sub: James Hynes is on for David Kelly on the Sligo team.

Cork 0-13 Sligo 0-4: 43 mins – A Marren free for Sligo cuts the gap.

Cork 0-13 Sligo 0-5: 45 mins – Another Marren free and Sligo now eight points adrift.

Sub: Cork bring in Fintan Goold for Ian Maguire.

Cork 0-14 Sligo 0-6: 48 mins – Marren hits Sligo’s fourth point in succession but then Cork grab a relieving point through Kerrigan.

Cork 0-15 Sligo 0-7: 49 mins – Pattern developing here. Sligo get some confidence through a point – on this occasion it’s courtesy of Mark Breheny from a sideline – but Cork quickly hit back through O’Neill.

Goal for Sligo!

Cork 0-15 Sligo 1-7: 51 mins – Game on now? Sligo hit the net as Stephen Coen rises to punch the ball to the net ahead of Cork goalkeeper Ken O’Halloran.

Cork outscored by 1-5 to 0-2 by Sligo in the last 12 minutes.

Sub: Damien Cahalane (Castlehaven) for Clancy on the Cork team.

Cork 0-16 Sligo 1-7: 55 mins – Cork needed that score to relieve the pressure as O’Neill taps over a free following a foul on Brian Hurley.

James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Cork 0-16 Sligo 1-9: 57 mins – More improvements in the situation for Sligo as Coen and Breheny points.

Sub: Daniel Goulding (Eire Og) for Hodnett for Cork (57).

Cork 0-17 Sligo 1-9: 59 mins – Better again from Cork as Kerrigan notches his fifth point from play following the assist by Goulding.

James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Chance for Cork to extend their lead but Brian Hurley is off target.

Cork 0-18 Sligo 1-9: 61 mins – No mistake on this occasion from Walsh for Cork as he fires over a quality point.

Sub: John O’Rourke (Carbery Rangers) on for Cork for Colm O’Driscoll.

Cork 0-19 Sligo 1-9: 63 mins – Colm O’Neill on target again and Cork are now seven points clear.

Goal chance before that for Cork but Goulding’s snapshot was saved by Sligo goalkeeper Devaney.

Cork 0-20 Sligo 1-9: 66 mins – O’Neill pops over a free for Cork after O’Rourke is fouled and Cork look to have weathered the Sligo storm. They’re surely on track to play Mayo next Sunday.

Cork 0-20 Sligo 1-10: 67 mins – Adrian Marren taps over a free for Sligo.

James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

The Sky Sports man-of-the-match award goes to Cork’s Paul Kerrigan.

Sub: Sean Dineen (Castlehaven) in for Cork for Aidan Walsh.

Subs: Eoin McHugh and Conor Griffin on for Sligo for Coen and Curran.

Cork 0-21 Sligo 1-10: 71 mins – Damien Cahalane punches a point for Cork.

Full-Time: Cork 0-21 Sligo 1-11

Adrian Marren with Sligo’s late point but it made little difference to the end result. Cork bounce back impressively with Colm O’Neill striking 0-10 and Paul Kerrigan hitting 0-5.

They now go forward to meet Mayo next Sunday afternoon while Sligo bow out. Thanks for joining us, we’ll be back shortly with the Tipperary Galway action.

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