Sligo 1-13 Tipperary 1-12:DAVID KELLY was the star turn for Sligo as they held on for a narrow victory over Tipperary in Thurles on Saturday. Kelly was in sparkling form in the first half while Adrian Marren and Mark Breheney were also on song as Sligo surged 0-10 to 0-4 clear by half-time.

Tipperary were in dire trouble and it got worse a minute into the second half when yet another handling error in defence presented Stephen Coen with his chance to slot home a goal. Tipp rallied and shot five points to Sligo’s two in the next 15 minutes and when Brian Mulvihill raced through for a Tipp goal in the 56th minute to cut the lead to three points (1-9 to 1-12), it was game on in earnest.

Mulvihill and Hugh Coghlan pointed but Sligo got a break as Michael McNamara surged upfield for a point in the 67th minute.

Tipperary pressed on but Coghlan’s injury time point was their only reward as Sligo survived.

While Kelly was the architect of the win, ably-assisted by Marren and Breheney, Paul McGovern, Tony Taylor, and Ross Donovan were also influential.

SLIGO: P Greene; P McGovern, N McGuire, N Ewing; N McNamara (0-1), R Donovan, J Davey; E Mullen, T Taylor (0-1); M Breheney (0-2, one free), A Costello (0-1), S Coen (1-1); D Kelly (0-2), E O’Hara, A Marren (0-5, one free). Subs: S Davey for Costello; G Gaughan for Ewing; B Kinehan for McNamara.

TIPPERARY: P Fitzgerald; P Codd, C McDonald, C Higgins; C Aylward, H Coghlan (0-2), R Costigan; G Hannigan, K Mulryan; S Carey, P Austin, B Mulvihill (1-1); B Fox, B Coen (0-1), B Grogan (0-6, four frees). Subs: D O’Brien (0-1) for Carey; A Fitzgerald (0-1) for Aylward, B Jones for Mulryan; J Cagney for Austin.

Referee: M Deegan (Laois).