Roscommon 2-23
Leitrim 1-9
Declan Rooney reports from Dr Hyde Park
TWO GOALS FROM wing-back Conor Devaney in the first-half saw Roscommon ease past Leitrim into the Connacht final after this straight-forward victory at Dr Hyde Park.
Diarmuid Murtagh kicked six points from play for Kevin McStay’s side, while Enda Smith looked powerful and fit with a driving performance from midfield.
With four points in the first five minutes Roscommon showed they were in form and in the humour to inflict some pain on Leitrim, but Leitrim’s generous defending certainly aided their start.
Eight minutes in Leitrim mustered their first attack on the Roscommon goal which ended with Darragh Rooney firing a brilliant shot across Colm Lavin to cut the lead to one point.
But at the other end points came easy to Roscommon. Two in a minutes from Fintan Cregg and Niall Kilroy put Roscommon three clear, but when Conor Devaney turned a rebound into the Leitrim net after 16 minutes they were well in control.
After Donie Smith was black carded, Diarmuid Murtagh became the dominant force in the Roscommon full-forward line and he kicked four first-half points, but two minutes from the end of normal time Deveney struck his second goal which gave Roscommon a 2-9 to 1-2 interval lead.
Roscommon continued to inflict misery on Leitrim after the break and McStay’s side reeled off five quick points that were unanswered at the other end, to take a 2-14 to 1-2 lead by the 42nd minute.
The gap looked certain to widen even further in the 44th minute when Michael McWeeney pulled down Brian Stack for a penalty – he was black carded for the offence – but Ciaran Murtagh’s kick clipped the cross bar on its way over the bar.
Leitrim did muster a significant challenge in the final quarter as Rooney, Ronan Kennedy and Brendan Gallagher found the target, but the result was certain from a long way out.
Scorers for Roscommon: Diarmuid Murtagh 0-7 (1f), Conor Devaney 2-1, Ciaran Murtagh 0-4 (0-3f, 0-1 pen), Enda Smith 0-3, Brian Stack 0-2, Fintan Cregg 0-2, Niall Kilroy 0-1, Donie Smith 0-1, Shane Killoran 0-1, Cian Connolly 0-1
Scorers for Leitrim: Darragh Rooney 1-2, Keith Beirne 0-3 (1f), Ronan Kennedy 0-2, Damien Moran 0-1, Brendan Gallagher 0-1.
Roscommon
1 Colm Lavin (Éire Óg)
21 Gary Patterson (Michael Glavey’s)
3 John McManus (Roscommon Gaels)
4 Niall McInerney (St Brigid’s)
5 Séan McDermott (Western Gaels)
6 Séan Mullooly (Strokestown)
7 Conor Devaney (Kilbride)
9 Enda Smith (Boyle)
8 Tadhg O’Rourke (Tulsk)
10 Fintan Cregg (Elphin)
11 Niall Kilroy (Fuerty)
12 Brian Stack (St Brigid’s)
13 Ciaráin Murtagh (c) (St Faithleach’s)
14 Diarmuid Murtagh (St Faithleach’s)
15 Donal Smith (Boyle).
Subs:
18 Cian Connolly (Roscommon Gaels) for D Smith (14 black card),
24 Ronan Stack (St Brigid’s) for Kilroy (45)
19 Colin Compton (Strokestown) for Connolly (45)
25 Shane Killoran (Elphin) for Patterson (49)
17 Brian Murtagh (St Faithleach’s) for B Stack (60)
26 Thomas Featherston (Oran) for C Murtagh (67)
Leitrim
1 Brendan Flynn (Leitrim Gaels)
17 Noel Plunkett (Aughawillan)
6 Donal Wrynn (c) (Fenagh St Caillin’s)
4 Paddy Maguire (Glencar/Manorhamilton)
5 James Rooney
2 Michael McWeeney (St Mary’s)
7 Oisín Madden (Mohill)
8 Shane Moran (Ballinamore/Sean O’Heslin’s)
9 Damien Moran (Bornacoola)
11 Dean McGovern (Ballinamore/Sean O’Heslin’s)
14 Conor Gaffney (Drumreilly)
12 Ryan O’Rourke (Fenagh St Caillin’s)
13 Keith Beirne (Mohill)
10 Brendan Gallagher (Lucan Sarsfileds)
15 Darragh Rooney (Melvin Gaels)
Subs:
23 Ronan Kennedy (Mohill) for McGovern (35+7)
24 Niall McGovern (Ballinamore/Sean O’Heslin’s) for D Moran (35+7 black)
19 Gary Reynolds (Oliver Plunketts) for McWeeney (45 black)
22 Conor Cullen (Aughnasheelin) for O’Rourke (47)
3 Ronan Gallagher (Mohill) for Wrynn (58)
20 Gary Plunkett (Aughawillan) for B Gallagher (68)
Referee: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow)
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