EIGHT-POINT LEADERS with five minutes to go before half-time, Mayo never looked second best to Roscommon for any of the next 55 minutes of enthralling action at Tuam Stadium in last night’s Dalata Hotel Group Connacht U20 football final.
But Mayo’s inability to keep out the goals meant that it was Roscommon who made it two out of two in local derbies against their neighbours in the space of just four days.
By the cold, hard metric of who won, it was more of the same between these two old rivals. But for those who were lucky enough to be in attendance, or even those watching through TG4 coverage, it was a world apart from the Connacht SFC game in Castlebar.
Andy Moran’s seniors came out of that game with huge doubts about every aspect of their play, and indeed their future for the remainder of the season. Ironically, Keith Higgins’ U-20s don’t have another game to look forward to, but they will slip back to their clubs with no small amount of appreciation and admiration from their supporters after they threw all they had and more at the Rossies, albeit to no avail.
Simply put, both sides scored 14 times from that 25 minute mark onwards, but five green flags to zero was enough for Roscommon to avenge last year’s controversial defeat to the same opponents at this venue.
Mayo were the better side when the counties met in the round robin stages and they looked sharp in the early exchanges here too, with pace, power and more than a sprinkling of Kobe McDonald magic on top of it all.
After Roscommon opened the scoring the Crossmolina prodigy glided through the defence and easily picked out the top corner of the net for a Mayo goal, and throughout the first half the Mayo attack was sharp and potent, with McDonald as the fulcrum.
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Tom Lydon finished with precision including a floated shot over Patrick Gaynor for a goal, while Darragh Beirne was no less influential in the other corner, albeit with a few more mistakes mixed in.
John Curran’s goal pulled Roscommon back to within five approaching half-time, but two misses before the interval left it 2-7 to 1-5, and stripped away the sense that Roscommon had momentum.
But, just like last Sunday, Roscommon wasted no time in eroding that advantage with four points in five minutes, then a two-point free from Eoghan Carthy that nudged them into the lead.
On Sunday, a similar surge led to a Mayo collapse. Here, Lydon, McDonald and team captain Colm Lynch came up with the big plays to get them back into the lead, and the ship was much steadier.
Their scores came easier, but Roscommon had the goal threat and every time they were in trouble, they found the net. A gifted handpass enabled substitute Ruairí Kilcline to roll the ball into an empty net, and John McGuinness was next to rattle the twine, albeit that lead was short lived as Kobe hit back with a sublime double.
Mayo were the ones with their noses in front going into stoppage time and they turned over three consecutive Roscommon possessions, but kept giving the ball straight back. Eventually it was wing back Keelan Kelly who took responsibility for the shot and he split the posts, forcing extra time.
Again Mayo took the lead, again Roscommon netted, this time through Kevin Hester, though Mayo still weren’t done with Kobe, Colm Lynch and Dylan Flynn on the mark. Just as he had done in the semi-final against Galway however, Ruairí Kilcline’s introduction as a monstrous target on the edge of the square turned the game.
With the spectre of penalties looming large in the fading light as just three minutes of extra-time remained, he found himself one-on-one on the 20m line, he used his huge frame to hold off the Mayo defender and with advantage in his favour, his perfect low finish brought a sensational contest to a close.
Scorers for Roscommon: Ruairí Kilcline 2-0, John Curran 1-2, John McGuinness 1-1, Kevin Hester 1-0, Eoghan Carthy 0-4 (1tp, 1tpf), Niall Heneghan 0-2 (0-1m), Dean Casey 0-3 (0-1f), Patrick Gaynor 0-1 (45), Charlie O’Carroll 0-1f, Colin Murray 0-1, Keelan Kelly 0-1.
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Five-goal Roscommon secure Connacht U20 title after massive rally and extra-time epic
Roscommon 5-16 (5-2-12)
Mayo 2-22 (2-1-20)
(After extra-time)
Kevin Egan reports from Tuam Stadium
EIGHT-POINT LEADERS with five minutes to go before half-time, Mayo never looked second best to Roscommon for any of the next 55 minutes of enthralling action at Tuam Stadium in last night’s Dalata Hotel Group Connacht U20 football final.
But Mayo’s inability to keep out the goals meant that it was Roscommon who made it two out of two in local derbies against their neighbours in the space of just four days.
By the cold, hard metric of who won, it was more of the same between these two old rivals. But for those who were lucky enough to be in attendance, or even those watching through TG4 coverage, it was a world apart from the Connacht SFC game in Castlebar.
Andy Moran’s seniors came out of that game with huge doubts about every aspect of their play, and indeed their future for the remainder of the season. Ironically, Keith Higgins’ U-20s don’t have another game to look forward to, but they will slip back to their clubs with no small amount of appreciation and admiration from their supporters after they threw all they had and more at the Rossies, albeit to no avail.
Simply put, both sides scored 14 times from that 25 minute mark onwards, but five green flags to zero was enough for Roscommon to avenge last year’s controversial defeat to the same opponents at this venue.
Mayo were the better side when the counties met in the round robin stages and they looked sharp in the early exchanges here too, with pace, power and more than a sprinkling of Kobe McDonald magic on top of it all.
After Roscommon opened the scoring the Crossmolina prodigy glided through the defence and easily picked out the top corner of the net for a Mayo goal, and throughout the first half the Mayo attack was sharp and potent, with McDonald as the fulcrum.
Tom Lydon finished with precision including a floated shot over Patrick Gaynor for a goal, while Darragh Beirne was no less influential in the other corner, albeit with a few more mistakes mixed in.
John Curran’s goal pulled Roscommon back to within five approaching half-time, but two misses before the interval left it 2-7 to 1-5, and stripped away the sense that Roscommon had momentum.
But, just like last Sunday, Roscommon wasted no time in eroding that advantage with four points in five minutes, then a two-point free from Eoghan Carthy that nudged them into the lead.
On Sunday, a similar surge led to a Mayo collapse. Here, Lydon, McDonald and team captain Colm Lynch came up with the big plays to get them back into the lead, and the ship was much steadier.
Their scores came easier, but Roscommon had the goal threat and every time they were in trouble, they found the net. A gifted handpass enabled substitute Ruairí Kilcline to roll the ball into an empty net, and John McGuinness was next to rattle the twine, albeit that lead was short lived as Kobe hit back with a sublime double.
Mayo were the ones with their noses in front going into stoppage time and they turned over three consecutive Roscommon possessions, but kept giving the ball straight back. Eventually it was wing back Keelan Kelly who took responsibility for the shot and he split the posts, forcing extra time.
Again Mayo took the lead, again Roscommon netted, this time through Kevin Hester, though Mayo still weren’t done with Kobe, Colm Lynch and Dylan Flynn on the mark. Just as he had done in the semi-final against Galway however, Ruairí Kilcline’s introduction as a monstrous target on the edge of the square turned the game.
With the spectre of penalties looming large in the fading light as just three minutes of extra-time remained, he found himself one-on-one on the 20m line, he used his huge frame to hold off the Mayo defender and with advantage in his favour, his perfect low finish brought a sensational contest to a close.
Scorers for Roscommon: Ruairí Kilcline 2-0, John Curran 1-2, John McGuinness 1-1, Kevin Hester 1-0, Eoghan Carthy 0-4 (1tp, 1tpf), Niall Heneghan 0-2 (0-1m), Dean Casey 0-3 (0-1f), Patrick Gaynor 0-1 (45), Charlie O’Carroll 0-1f, Colin Murray 0-1, Keelan Kelly 0-1.
Scorers for Mayo: Kobe McDonald 1-7 (1tp, 1 45), Tom Lydon 1-6, Darragh Beirne 0-3, Josh Moyles 0-2, Colm Lynch 0-2, Dylan Flynn 0-1, Cian Walsh 0-1.
Roscommon
1. Patrick Gaynor (Western Gaels)
2. Diarmuid O’Higgins (Clann na nGael), 4. Nikita Berzins (Shannon Gaels), 3. Michael Gillooly (Westport)
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), 14. Charlie O’Carroll (St. Brigid’s), 11. Dean Casey (Ballinameen)
Subs:
MAYO
1. Conor Meaney (Westport)
2. James Lavelle (Belmullet), 3. Tom Lambert (Westport), 4. Aaron Coggins (Crossmolina Deel Rovers)
5. Colm Lynch (Parke Keelogues Crimlin), 6. Rio Mortimer (Claremorris), 7. Josh Moyles (Crossmolina Deel Rovers)
8. Darragh Staunton (Knockmore), 9. Joey Holmes (Westport)
12. Dylan Flynn (Crossmolina Deel Rovers), 11. Kobe McDonald (Crossmolina Deel Rovers), 10. Andrew Quinn (Mayo Gaels)
13. Darragh Beirne (Claremorris), 14. Oisín Deane (Crossmolina Deel Rovers), 15. Tom Lydon (The Neale)
Subs:
Referee: Thomas Murphy (Galway)
****
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