Roscommon 0-9
Galway 0-8
By John Fallon at Pearse Stadium
DAVY BURKE’S REIGN as Roscommon manager continued its perfect start to the Allianz League when Richard Hughes kicked a dramatic winner four minutes into stoppage time at Pearse Stadium.
It completed a dramatic comeback for Roscommon who held the All-Ireland finalists scoreless for the closing quarter as they came from four points adrift to shoot five without reply and back up their opening-round win over Tyrone.
Galway, having opted to play with the breeze, led by 0-5 to 0-3 at the break after a poor opening half where both teams struggled to go forward.
Roscommon laid down an early marker with points from Daire Cregg and Ciaran Lennon after a five-minute stoppage when All-Star Damien Comer was stretchered from the field after picking up what seemed a serious leg injury.
Comer’s replacement Dessie Conneely got Galway’s opening point with a free after 14 minutes and after Matthew Tierney levelled from a good passing movement, he edged them in front for the first time with another free after 25 minutes.
Dylan McHugh and Cillian McDaid went forward to score before Diarmuid Murtagh cut the gap to 0-5 to 0-3 at the break when he turned and pointed.
Galway struck for the opening two scores after the break with Johnny Heaney hitting the target and Conneely tapping over his third free before Diarmuid Murtagh responded with a neat point which he floated over from 30 metres to leave Galway leading by 0-7 to 0-4 after 44 minutes.
Former All-Star Ian Burke, an interval substitute, extended Galway’s lead after 51 minutes before Roscommon responded with Ben O’Carroll and Ciaráin Murtagh shooting points to reduce the margin to 0-8 to 0-6 with 13 minutes remaining.
The large Roscommon following in the crowd of around 7,000 were on their feet when O’Carroll cut the gap to the minimum seven minutes from time before Diarmuid Murtagh kept his nerve to level the game with a 25 metre free two minutes later.
Both sides had chances to win it in the dying moments but it was Roscommon who countered from deep and Hughes maintained his composure to shoot the winner from 20 metres on the right and snatch a dramatic win.
Scorers for Roscommon: Diarmuid Murtagh 0-3 (1f), Ben O’Carroll 0-2, Ciarán Lennon 0-1, Ciaráin Murtagh 0-1, Daire Cregg 0-1, Richard Hughes 0-1.
Scorers for Galway: Dessie Conneely 0-3 (3f), Dylan McHugh 0-1, Cillian McDaid 0-1, Matthew Tierney 0-1, Johnny Heaney 0-1, Ian Burke 0-1.
Roscommon
1 Conor Carroll (Oranmore/Maree)
2 Conor Hussey (Michael Glaveys), 4 Eoin McCormack (St Dominic’s), 3 Conor Daly (Padraig Pearses)
7 Niall Daly (Padraig Pearses), 6 Brian Stack (St Brigid’s), 10 Robbie Dolan (St Brigid’s)
8 Tadhg O’Rourke (Tulsk Lord Edwards), 9 Keith Doyle (St Dominic’s)
5 Dylan Ruane (Michael Glaveys), 22 Enda Smith (Boyle), 12 Ciarán Lennon (Clann na nGael)
11 Diarmuid Murtagh (St Faithleach’s), 14 Conor Cox (Éire Óg), 25 Daire Cregg (Boyle)
Subs
15 Ciaráin Murtagh (St Faithleach’s) for Cox (half-time)
13 Ben O’Carroll (St Brigid’s) for Ruane (47)
19 David Murray (Padraig Pearses) for McCormack (47)
20 Richard Hughes (Roscommon Gaels) for Doyle (51)
18 Colin Walsh (Oran) for Murray (65-68 blood)
24 Paul Carey (Padraig Pearses) for D Murtagh (72)
Galway
1 Connor Gleeson (Dunmore MacHales)
4 Jack Glynn (Claregalway), 2 Eoghan Kelly (Moycullen), 17 Neil Mulcahy (Moycullen)
5 Dylan McHugh (Corofin), 6 John Daly (Mountbellew/Moylough), 3 Seán Kelly (Moycullen)
11 Matthew Tierney (Oughterard), 8 Paul Conroy (St James’)
9 Cillian McDaid (Monivea/Abbey), 14 Damien Comer (Annaghdown), 22 Peter Cooke (Moycullen)
10 Paul Kelly (Moycullen), 15 Eoin Finnerty (Mountbellew/Moylough), 12 Johnny Heaney (Killannin)
Subs
25 Dessie Conneely (Moycullen) for Comer (11 inj)
13 Ian Burke (Corofin) for P Kelly (half-time)
24 Owen Gallagher (Moycullen) for Finnerty (51)
19 Cathal Sweeney (Salthill/Knocknacarra) for Cooke (55)
20 Matthew Barrett (Mountbellew/Moylough) for Heaney (65)
Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan).
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