ROSCOMMON WEATHERED A storm in every way possible to keep their dreams of a National Football League Division 1 final alive, inflicting Donegal’s first defeat of the season.
Mark Dowds’ side went to the Hyde with a chance of reaching the Croke Park showpiece at the end of the month, although still looking over their shoulder, not safe from the threat of relegation.
But after a gutsy six-point victory in trying conditions, the only way is up now, and they can ignore the complexities near the bottom of the table on the final weekend. Donegal remain in the top two in the top flight and can confirm a final place with victory next Sunday in Monaghan.
A first half when Roscommon had everything at their backs yielded a goal from Diarmuid Murtagh and an 11-point lead by the break.
But Donegal looked like they’d shred that back to nothing with an explosive start to the second half, and even came back to just one point behind later on, but Roscommon regained their composure and a second goal from Conor Hand made sure.
Roscommon goalkeeper Conor Caroll prepares to take a kick out under a rainbow. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Enda Smith made the most of the elements with two early two-pointers, with Donegal having to be much more deliberate in their build-up.
The wind was strong, and the occasional belting shower made for slow build-up play, although Conor McCahill and Conor O’Donnell both managed scores to leave their side 0-4 to 0-2 down on 10 minutes.
McCahill had a shot at goal in the sixth minute, which was hacked off the line by Senan Lambe. The ball was in the net at the other end, 13 minutes in, when Murtagh stabbed home after Lambe had won a turnover in his own half from O’Donnell to set off a move, with Daire Cregg assisting and Patrick Gavin and Dylan Ruane playing pivotal roles in the swift breakaway.
Roscommon were in the ascendancy and Gavin Mulreany, two minutes later, had to smother to prevent a second goal, with Smith pulling the trigger.
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Murtagh’s free made it 1-5 to 0-2 for Roscommon, who were by now stressing Donegal, by the midpoint of the first half.
Keith Doyle struck the home side’s third two-pointer of the half and although Michael Murphy – on his record-breaking 195th appearance for Donegal – pulled one back, Roscommon dominated the latter part of the half.
Diarmuid Murtagh celebrates scoring the first goal of the game. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Lambe, Murtagh’s two from a free, and a couple of points in succession from corner-back Colm Neary stretched a seven-point advantage out to 13 (1-13 to 0-3). With a solid shape, and strong in the tackle, they bossed Mulreany’s kick-outs for a spell, and it told on the scoreboard.
Staring down the barrel, Donegal passed up on two huge goal chances late in the half, with Jason McGee sliding one just wide when in on goal and then, from the next attack, McCahill went for power and Conor Carroll was equal to it.
A Mulreany 45 and one from play from Murphy meant Donegal had at least stemmed the tide, but time would tell if those goal chances would come back to haunt them.
Roscommon were 1-13 to 0-5 in front at the break, although the second half was going to be an entirely different challenge. Whatever about the wind, the Roscommon players had to deal with an almost biblical hail shower when play restarted.
By the 40th minute, Donegal had whittled their deficit down from 11 to five at 1-13 to 0-12, with substitute Shea Malone hitting 0-3 of that, Eoghan Ban Gallagher with one and a two-pointer from Jason McGee.
Doyle got Roscommon on the second-half scoreboard, only for it to act as a prelude to Michael Langan scoring from outside the arc. With 26 minutes still to play, Donegal were now just four behind at 1-14 to 0-13.
McGee and O’Donnell would take that down to two, although Roscommon, with the sun now shining and a rainbow as things cleared up, responded well. Three in a row through Hand, Smith and Murtagh’s free meant things were literally brightening up for the home support with a 1-17 to 0-15 lead in place.
However, with Finnbarr Roarty knocking over Donegal’s fourth two-pointer of the second half and Peadar Mogan then fisting over before another McGee score, the Ulster champions were back within touching distance, 1-17 to 0-19 behind, on 57.
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With Lambe pointing for Roscommon, it was all to play for going down the final straight and Jamie Brennan, off the bench for Donegal, opted to take a shot at goal early, only to put it to the left and wide on 60 minutes. Brennan made amends in Donegal’s next attack to leave his team just one down, 1-18 to 0-20.
Roscommon had got over their third-quarter jitters and carried clever possession the longer it went on. Smith, though, was ever-dependable and scored with the fist, so when Hand slapped home a second Roscommon goal in the 66th minute, it was enough to see it out.
Scorers for Roscommon: Diarmuid Murtagh 1-5, tpf, 3f; Enda Smith 0-6, 2 tp; Conor Hand 1-1; Keith Doyle 0-3, tp; Colm Neary and Senan Lambe 0-2; Robert Heneghan 0-1
Scorers for Donegal: Jason McGee 0-4, tp; Shea Malone 0-3, tp; Conor O’Donnell 0-2; Michael Murphy 0-2, 1f; Michael Langan and Finnbarr Roarty 0-2, tp; Gavin Mulreany 0-1, 45; Conor McCahill, Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Peadar Mogan and Jamie Brennan 0-1.
ROSCOMMON: Conor Carroll; Patrick Gavin, Niall Higgins, Colm Neary; Eoin Ward, Ronan Daly, Senan Lambe; Keith Doyle, Conor Ryan; Dylan Ruane, Enda Smith, Eoin McCormack; Diarmuid Murtagh, Daire Cregg, Robert Heneghan.
Subs: Shane Cunnane for Ryan (43), Ruaidhrí Fallon and Conor Hand for Neary and Cregg (49), Caelim Keogh for Fallon (59), Robbie Dolan for Heneghan (63)
DONEGAL: Gavin Mulreany; Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Brendan McCole, Stephen McMenamin; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Finnbarr Roarty; Hugh McFadden, Jason McGee; Michael Langan; Peadar Mogan, Michael Langan, Max Campbell; Conor McCahill, Michael Murphy, Conor O’Donnell.
Subs: Shea Malone and Caolan McColgan for Campbell and McCahill (ht), Jamie Brennan for McHugh (57)
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Roscommon hold off Donegal's second-half surge to secure Division 1 status
Roscommon 2-20
Donegal 0-20
ROSCOMMON WEATHERED A storm in every way possible to keep their dreams of a National Football League Division 1 final alive, inflicting Donegal’s first defeat of the season.
Mark Dowds’ side went to the Hyde with a chance of reaching the Croke Park showpiece at the end of the month, although still looking over their shoulder, not safe from the threat of relegation.
But after a gutsy six-point victory in trying conditions, the only way is up now, and they can ignore the complexities near the bottom of the table on the final weekend. Donegal remain in the top two in the top flight and can confirm a final place with victory next Sunday in Monaghan.
A first half when Roscommon had everything at their backs yielded a goal from Diarmuid Murtagh and an 11-point lead by the break.
But Donegal looked like they’d shred that back to nothing with an explosive start to the second half, and even came back to just one point behind later on, but Roscommon regained their composure and a second goal from Conor Hand made sure.
Enda Smith made the most of the elements with two early two-pointers, with Donegal having to be much more deliberate in their build-up.
The wind was strong, and the occasional belting shower made for slow build-up play, although Conor McCahill and Conor O’Donnell both managed scores to leave their side 0-4 to 0-2 down on 10 minutes.
McCahill had a shot at goal in the sixth minute, which was hacked off the line by Senan Lambe. The ball was in the net at the other end, 13 minutes in, when Murtagh stabbed home after Lambe had won a turnover in his own half from O’Donnell to set off a move, with Daire Cregg assisting and Patrick Gavin and Dylan Ruane playing pivotal roles in the swift breakaway.
Roscommon were in the ascendancy and Gavin Mulreany, two minutes later, had to smother to prevent a second goal, with Smith pulling the trigger.
Murtagh’s free made it 1-5 to 0-2 for Roscommon, who were by now stressing Donegal, by the midpoint of the first half.
Keith Doyle struck the home side’s third two-pointer of the half and although Michael Murphy – on his record-breaking 195th appearance for Donegal – pulled one back, Roscommon dominated the latter part of the half.
Lambe, Murtagh’s two from a free, and a couple of points in succession from corner-back Colm Neary stretched a seven-point advantage out to 13 (1-13 to 0-3). With a solid shape, and strong in the tackle, they bossed Mulreany’s kick-outs for a spell, and it told on the scoreboard.
Staring down the barrel, Donegal passed up on two huge goal chances late in the half, with Jason McGee sliding one just wide when in on goal and then, from the next attack, McCahill went for power and Conor Carroll was equal to it.
A Mulreany 45 and one from play from Murphy meant Donegal had at least stemmed the tide, but time would tell if those goal chances would come back to haunt them.
Roscommon were 1-13 to 0-5 in front at the break, although the second half was going to be an entirely different challenge. Whatever about the wind, the Roscommon players had to deal with an almost biblical hail shower when play restarted.
By the 40th minute, Donegal had whittled their deficit down from 11 to five at 1-13 to 0-12, with substitute Shea Malone hitting 0-3 of that, Eoghan Ban Gallagher with one and a two-pointer from Jason McGee.
Doyle got Roscommon on the second-half scoreboard, only for it to act as a prelude to Michael Langan scoring from outside the arc. With 26 minutes still to play, Donegal were now just four behind at 1-14 to 0-13.
McGee and O’Donnell would take that down to two, although Roscommon, with the sun now shining and a rainbow as things cleared up, responded well. Three in a row through Hand, Smith and Murtagh’s free meant things were literally brightening up for the home support with a 1-17 to 0-15 lead in place.
However, with Finnbarr Roarty knocking over Donegal’s fourth two-pointer of the second half and Peadar Mogan then fisting over before another McGee score, the Ulster champions were back within touching distance, 1-17 to 0-19 behind, on 57.
With Lambe pointing for Roscommon, it was all to play for going down the final straight and Jamie Brennan, off the bench for Donegal, opted to take a shot at goal early, only to put it to the left and wide on 60 minutes. Brennan made amends in Donegal’s next attack to leave his team just one down, 1-18 to 0-20.
Roscommon had got over their third-quarter jitters and carried clever possession the longer it went on. Smith, though, was ever-dependable and scored with the fist, so when Hand slapped home a second Roscommon goal in the 66th minute, it was enough to see it out.
Scorers for Roscommon: Diarmuid Murtagh 1-5, tpf, 3f; Enda Smith 0-6, 2 tp; Conor Hand 1-1; Keith Doyle 0-3, tp; Colm Neary and Senan Lambe 0-2; Robert Heneghan 0-1
Scorers for Donegal: Jason McGee 0-4, tp; Shea Malone 0-3, tp; Conor O’Donnell 0-2; Michael Murphy 0-2, 1f; Michael Langan and Finnbarr Roarty 0-2, tp; Gavin Mulreany 0-1, 45; Conor McCahill, Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Peadar Mogan and Jamie Brennan 0-1.
ROSCOMMON: Conor Carroll; Patrick Gavin, Niall Higgins, Colm Neary; Eoin Ward, Ronan Daly, Senan Lambe; Keith Doyle, Conor Ryan; Dylan Ruane, Enda Smith, Eoin McCormack; Diarmuid Murtagh, Daire Cregg, Robert Heneghan.
Subs: Shane Cunnane for Ryan (43), Ruaidhrí Fallon and Conor Hand for Neary and Cregg (49), Caelim Keogh for Fallon (59), Robbie Dolan for Heneghan (63)
DONEGAL: Gavin Mulreany; Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Brendan McCole, Stephen McMenamin; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Finnbarr Roarty; Hugh McFadden, Jason McGee; Michael Langan; Peadar Mogan, Michael Langan, Max Campbell; Conor McCahill, Michael Murphy, Conor O’Donnell.
Subs: Shea Malone and Caolan McColgan for Campbell and McCahill (ht), Jamie Brennan for McHugh (57)
Referee: Brendan Griffin (Kerry)
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