Kevin Egan reports from Hastings Insurance MacHale Park
THE VALUE OF an old-fashioned ‘Bear in the Square’ was in full view in Castlebar tonight, where 6′ 6″ Ruairí Kilcline came off the bench to poach 1-2 for Roscommon and send them through to next Wednesday’s Connacht U20FC final, where they will take on Kobe McDonald and Mayo in a rematch of last year’s decider.
There were four points between the sides in Mayo’s favour when the sides met three weeks ago and Mayo will carry the favourites’ tag into the final in Tuam, as this was a case of two sides with one glaring weakness each, effectively cancelling each other out.
Roscommon’s shooting was sub-par, with 12 wides to Galway’s three, and two glaring misses in stoppage time when they needed an insurance score summed up a poor outing in front of the posts.
What Cian Smith’s side did do was completely overpower Galway in the middle, monopolising primary possession and suffocating the Tribe, who scored a single point across 26 minutes of football in the second half.
Kilcline delivered the game’s crucial score, Roscommon’s second goal, with ten minutes to play.
Michael Gillooly’s interception of a floating Galway handpass set up the attack but when the ball was worked to Cathal McKeon on the right hand side of the attack, all the Boyle man had to do was just float a gentle kick pass across the square and the big man was able to easily leap above the Galway goalkeeper and defender to flick the ball across the line.
Two points, one off each boot, was another strong claim for inclusion in the starting 15 next week.
Galway struggled to get their hands on the ball, going long stretches without winning a kickout at times, but yet they seemed to hold possession for the majority of the game.
In the opening 20 minutes, they turned that into good scoring chances with some slick running and kick passing that opened up the Rossie defence.
Conor Grogan fired over the opening point for the winners but strong running from Shay McGlinchey left Roscommon chasing back and enabled a handy equaliser from his club colleague Cian Mitchell, kicking off a run of four consecutive scores from Galway that yielded 0-5.
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Brian O’Malley finished off a fast break, Matthew Collins sent a high, looping kick over the crossbar while Mikey Mulryan landed the only two-pointer of the half, and a couple of really good strip tackles from Michael Gillooly and Diarmuid O’Higgins were crucial to Roscommon staying as close as they did.
They needed a spark up front however, and they got it from John McGuinness, who exploded down the centre with a perfectly timed run before rattling the top corner of the net midway through the half.
Galway continued to look that bit more potent up front with Cian Mitchell, Ciarán Mulhern and Richard McGrath going well in the trenches, pushing their lead out to four while Roscommon’s wide count continued to mount.
Scores from Grogan and Cathal McKeon before half time left two in it at the turnaround, but Galway made sure to kill that momentum with three quickfire scores, all from the boot of Ross Coen, in just three minutes after half-time.
There was no goal to take Roscommon off the ropes this time, but Charlie O’Carroll won and converted a free and gradually, building on their midfield dominance where Eoghan Carthy dominated, they worked their way back into the game.
Galway kicked a mere one point in the space of 26 minutes of football, during which time Kilcline hit his trio of scores, nudging Roscommon 2-10 to 0-13 ahead and giving just enough breathing room to hold on.
Scorers for Roscommon: Ruairí Kilcline 1-2, Charlie O’Carroll 0-4f, John McGuinness 1-0, Conor Grogan 0-2, Cathal McKeon 0-1, Eoin Collins 0-1.
Scorers for Galway: Mikey Mulryan 0-5 (1tp, 0-1f), Ross Coen 0-3, Cian Mitchell 0-1, Matthew Collins 0-1, Ciarán Mulhern 0-1f, Eoinín Ó Cualáin 0-1, Brian O’Malley 0-1, Richard McGrath 0-1.
Roscommon
1. Patrick Gaynor (Western Gaels)
2. Diarmuid O’Higgins (Clann na nGael), 3. Michael Gillooly (Roscommon Gaels), 4. Nikita Berzins (Shannon Gaels)
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Super-sub sends Roscommon into Connacht U20 final rematch with Galway win
Dalata Hotel Group Connacht U20FC semi-final
Roscommon 2-10 (2-0-10)
Galway 0-15 (0-1-13)
Kevin Egan reports from Hastings Insurance MacHale Park
THE VALUE OF an old-fashioned ‘Bear in the Square’ was in full view in Castlebar tonight, where 6′ 6″ Ruairí Kilcline came off the bench to poach 1-2 for Roscommon and send them through to next Wednesday’s Connacht U20FC final, where they will take on Kobe McDonald and Mayo in a rematch of last year’s decider.
There were four points between the sides in Mayo’s favour when the sides met three weeks ago and Mayo will carry the favourites’ tag into the final in Tuam, as this was a case of two sides with one glaring weakness each, effectively cancelling each other out.
Roscommon’s shooting was sub-par, with 12 wides to Galway’s three, and two glaring misses in stoppage time when they needed an insurance score summed up a poor outing in front of the posts.
What Cian Smith’s side did do was completely overpower Galway in the middle, monopolising primary possession and suffocating the Tribe, who scored a single point across 26 minutes of football in the second half.
Kilcline delivered the game’s crucial score, Roscommon’s second goal, with ten minutes to play.
Michael Gillooly’s interception of a floating Galway handpass set up the attack but when the ball was worked to Cathal McKeon on the right hand side of the attack, all the Boyle man had to do was just float a gentle kick pass across the square and the big man was able to easily leap above the Galway goalkeeper and defender to flick the ball across the line.
Two points, one off each boot, was another strong claim for inclusion in the starting 15 next week.
Galway struggled to get their hands on the ball, going long stretches without winning a kickout at times, but yet they seemed to hold possession for the majority of the game.
In the opening 20 minutes, they turned that into good scoring chances with some slick running and kick passing that opened up the Rossie defence.
Conor Grogan fired over the opening point for the winners but strong running from Shay McGlinchey left Roscommon chasing back and enabled a handy equaliser from his club colleague Cian Mitchell, kicking off a run of four consecutive scores from Galway that yielded 0-5.
Brian O’Malley finished off a fast break, Matthew Collins sent a high, looping kick over the crossbar while Mikey Mulryan landed the only two-pointer of the half, and a couple of really good strip tackles from Michael Gillooly and Diarmuid O’Higgins were crucial to Roscommon staying as close as they did.
They needed a spark up front however, and they got it from John McGuinness, who exploded down the centre with a perfectly timed run before rattling the top corner of the net midway through the half.
Galway continued to look that bit more potent up front with Cian Mitchell, Ciarán Mulhern and Richard McGrath going well in the trenches, pushing their lead out to four while Roscommon’s wide count continued to mount.
Scores from Grogan and Cathal McKeon before half time left two in it at the turnaround, but Galway made sure to kill that momentum with three quickfire scores, all from the boot of Ross Coen, in just three minutes after half-time.
There was no goal to take Roscommon off the ropes this time, but Charlie O’Carroll won and converted a free and gradually, building on their midfield dominance where Eoghan Carthy dominated, they worked their way back into the game.
Galway kicked a mere one point in the space of 26 minutes of football, during which time Kilcline hit his trio of scores, nudging Roscommon 2-10 to 0-13 ahead and giving just enough breathing room to hold on.
Scorers for Roscommon: Ruairí Kilcline 1-2, Charlie O’Carroll 0-4f, John McGuinness 1-0, Conor Grogan 0-2, Cathal McKeon 0-1, Eoin Collins 0-1.
Scorers for Galway: Mikey Mulryan 0-5 (1tp, 0-1f), Ross Coen 0-3, Cian Mitchell 0-1, Matthew Collins 0-1, Ciarán Mulhern 0-1f, Eoinín Ó Cualáin 0-1, Brian O’Malley 0-1, Richard McGrath 0-1.
Roscommon
1. Patrick Gaynor (Western Gaels)
2. Diarmuid O’Higgins (Clann na nGael), 3. Michael Gillooly (Roscommon Gaels), 4. Nikita Berzins (Shannon Gaels)
7. Conor Grogan (Roscommon Gaels), 5. Keelan Kelly (Pádraig Pearses), 6. Eoghan Carthy (Roscommon Gaels)
8. Niall Heneghan (Michael Glaveys), 9. Cathal Enright (Elphin)
10. Cathal McKeon (Boyle), 15. John McGuinness (Roscommon Gaels), 12. Eoin Collins (St. Croan’s)
13. John Curran (Castlerea St. Kevin’s), 11. Dean Casey (Ballinameen), 20. Charlie O’Carroll (St. Brigid’s)
Subs
Galway
1. Brian Carroll (Oranmore-Maree)
4. Vincent Gill (Corofin), 3. Olan Kelly (Annaghdown), 2. Daniel Hughes (Claregalway)
7. Cian Mitchell (Tuam Stars), 6. Richard McGrath (Caherlistrane), 17. Brian Molloy (Kilconly)
8. Shay McGlinchey (Tuam Stars), 9. Patrick Keaney (Clifden)
10. Ciarán Mulhern (Mountbellew/Moylough), 11. Ross Coen (Corofin), 12. Maitiú Ó Domhnaill (An Cheathrú Rua)
13. Eoinín Ó Cualáin (An Cheathrú Rua), 14. Mikey Mulryan (Caltra), 15. Matthew Collins (Claregalway)
Subs
Referee: Ronan Hynes (Sligo).
*****
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Connacht GAA Galway Roscommon Rossies rossies repeat U20