Shane Cunnane and Roscommon ran out 19-point winners against London in Ruislip. Juan Gasparini/INPHO

Roscommon move through the gears against London to win Connacht SFC opener

Davy Burke’s side now await the winner of Galway’s meeting with New York on Sunday afternoon.

London 0-13

Roscommon 2-26

DIARMUID MURTAGH SCORED the opening goal of the 2025 GAA Football Championship to set Roscommon on their way to what was ultimately a comfortable 19-point win over London in Ruislip.

Davy Burke’s side now await the winner of Galway’s meeting with New York on Sunday afternoon.

Murtagh palmed the ball to the net in the eighth minute to give the Rossies an early 1-2 to 0-0 lead in this Connacht senior football championship quarter-final.

They had stretched that margin to 1-6 by the time Liam Gallagher kicked London’s first score with a two-pointer on 15 minutes.

From there, the determined Exiles fought their way right back into the game and outscored their visitors by 0-8 to 0-1 over the following 10 minutes to draw level.

When the half-time break came, Murtagh’s early goal was all that separated the sides as Roscommon led by 1-10 to 0-10.

The Rossies moved up a gear after the restart and had built up a five-point cushion when Ciaráin Murtagh killed London’s challenge and struck for his side’s second goal on 52 minutes.

Ben O’Carroll slipped his marker to get hands on Ruaidhrí Fallon’s kick pass into the full-forward line, and Murtagh arrived like a train to take the pass and fire past Andrew Walsh in the London goal.

Ciaráin Murtagh finished the afternoon as the Rossies’ top scorer with an individual 1-5 (one two-pointer) while O’Carroll impressed with five points from play as well as a two-point free.

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