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You are > Home > Shine’s heroics not enough to prevent defeat
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Shine’s heroics not enough to prevent defeat
Antrim 0-16 Roscommon 0-14
Another narrow loss but at least this performance gives Fergal O’Donnell something to build on.
Roscommon never looked like winning this game but they didn’t allow Antrim dismantle their challenge as the Ulster side had managed with aplomb in previous games.
The home side were game to the final whistle but the end result still pushed Roscommon ever closer to the relegation trap door.
It’s hard to see any way back for Roscommon as they simply have too much ground to make up. In terms of performance, this one came second to the effort in Fermanagh. It was much better than the chaos that attached itself to the defending in Tullamore a week ago.
After 11 minutes, the game looked to be heading that way. Antrim were coasting, leading by five points and making Roscommon pay dearly for a host of basic errors.
When players keep on making the same mistake, one would deduce that it’s time for alternatives to be considered.
Roscommon’s problem is that alternatives for different positions are thin on the ground, and that’s unlikely to change any time soon.
After a shaky opening, Roscommon did show commendable spirit to gain a foothold in proceedings. Donal Shine’s unerring free taking provided a platform for recovery and Roscommon hung on to get the margin back to three points by the midway mark.
With the wind behind them and with a player extra after the dismissal of Antrim corner-back Dermot McCann for two yellow cards after 26 minutes, the chance was there for Roscommon to make a name for themselves if they were good enough.
One couldn’t fault them for effort but the quality and composure needed to trouble Antrim was sadly lacking.
The problems up front were best summed up by two glorious goal chances spurned in the 41st minute. Firstly, John Rogers was denied by Antrim goalkeeper John Finnucane.
The rebound fell at the feet of James Connaughton. With the goal gaping, however, Connaughton fluffed his ground strike the wrong side of the post.
A goal at that stage would have put Roscommon in front for the first time but Antrim recovered with ease to comfortably regain the initiative in terms of getting the scores when they needed too.
Roscommon did stage a mini-revival towards the end of proceedings but one never felt that Antrim would lose the two league points on offer.
The home side’s cause wasn’t helped by some bizarre refereeing decisions that went against them.
Dublin official Tomas Quigley incurred the wrath of the home faithful for making some poor judgment calls that infuriated the Roscommon players and management.
All players crave is consistency but what Antrim players were allowed to do in the opening half was penalised when a Roscommon player tried to so the same thing, especially in the second-half.
Quigley wasn’t the reason why Antrim won the game but his decisions poured salt into the wounds of a Roscommon team desperately in need of some sort of break.
While Roscommon tried hard, they lacked composure to key positions to give Antrim a great deal to think about. The exception was Donal Shine who produced another master class in the art of free-taking.
The Clann na nGael sharpshooter is one of the best exponent of the placed ball in the country right now. His influence further out the field was more pronounced on this occasion as well as he made some spectacular catches, particularly during the second-half.
Antrim started like an express train and looked like they were going to inflict a great deal of humiliation on a Roscommon team low on confidence.
Full-forward Michael Magill opened his side’s account in the second minute as the Roscommon defence allowed a long free bounce over their heads. Michael Finneran’s tendency to over carry was punished when Antrim dispossessed the St. Dominic’s player. Paddy Cunningham was on hand to find the target and give his side a two point lead.
A mistake by David Casey in the half-forward line resulted in a point for impressive Antrim midfielder Michael McCann after he was teed up centre back Justin Crozier and Magill.
A wayward kickout by Geoffrey Claffey handed Antrim the initiative in their next attack as McCann, Magill and James Loughery combined to give Cunningham the simplest of tasks of finding the target.
When the same player tagged on a free from the left side of goal to hand the visitors a five-point advantage, one feared for Roscommon.
When inspiration was required, Donal Shine provided it when he landed a terrific free from an acute angle near the left sideline. At this stage Shine was operating at midfield with David Casey gone to centre back.
The switches seemed to work as Kevin Higgins’ persistance was rewarded by a score before Shine closed the gap to two points after Brian Higgins was fouled.
A 45-metre free from Cunningham steadied the Saffron men but Ger Heneghan correctly took his point to keep Roscommon in contention in the 26th minute.
When McCann was sent for an early shower a minute later, Roscommon looked to have a real chance but McCann bisected the posts from distance, as did Shine from a free.
Antrim had the final say of the half with points from Cunningham and centre back Justin Crozier to leave Liam Bradley’s men 0-9 to 0-6 ahead at the break.
Kieran Close stretched the lead to four with an excellent team score within a minute of the restart. Shine somehow found the target from a 60-metre free before Rogers and Connaughton soon spurned two glorious opportunities.
A Roscommon goal at that point would have made matters interesting but two Cunningham frees set Antrim on their way again. James Loughery tagged on another score even though he was fouled en route to goal.
John Rogers pared the margin back to four points but had Tomas McCann squared the ball for Cunningham, the game might have been over as a contest. In the end Cunningham had to content himself with a point.
Shine and Kevin Higgins left just three points between them but Antrim pushed on, Cunningham and Close leaving Antrim in the comfort zone with five minutes remaining.
In fairness to Roscommon, they kept plugging away and a fine effort from Ger Heneghan was followed by two rapid fire Shine frees to leave Roscommon only two points behind in injury time. But the goal they needed wouldn’t come and Roscommon were left counting the cost of a fourth league loss in 2010.
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