Experimental Cavan RFC go down to Sligo

Cavan RFC 7 Sligo RFC 26 Paul Fitzpatrick at Swellan Park A new-look Cavan RFC slipped to defeat in the Elliott Cup to Sligo last Saturday at Swellan Park. New coach Tamaile Tasola had stated that he would use this fixture to experiment and he was true to his word, handing debuts to a couple of players and trying others out in various positions. Cavan found themselves 5-0 down just five minutes in when they knocked on and Sligo pushed over, and they almost fell further behind minutes later when Robert Beattie intervened with a super tackle to halt a certain try for Sligo. With Shane McCormack doing well in his natural position of number eight, Cavan battled gamely and attacked the Sligo line. However, an interception by the Sligo full-back resulted in a try under the posts to make it 12-0. Just before half-time, Alan Brady crashed over for a try in the corner for Cavan after good work by McCormack. Morgan Farrell's conversion made it 12-7 at the break. Sligo upped the ante in the second half, with Cavan having made a number of changes, and some costly missed tackles saw the visitors run out 26-7 winners, despite the best efforts of Brady, McCormack, Beattie, Garry Browne, newcomer Gareth Corrigan - who got through a lot of work on the wing - and the returning loosehead prop Killian Tully. With the likes of Salesi Tuipulotu, Myles O'Reilly, Gerry Mulligan, Dara Brady and Alastair Trenier still to return to the side, Cavan will enter their first league match with confidence. CAVAN RFC: Killian Tully, Paul McCucker, Alan Brady, Martin O'Reilly, Jonathan Scott, Garry Browne, Robert Beattie, Shane McCormack, Jeremiah Loughnane, Tamaille Tasola, Gareth Corrigan, Justin Pilgrim, James Loughnane, Brian McCucker, Morgan Farrell SUBS: Neil McCann, Lorcan Mulvey