County U-20 footballers fall short against Mayo in Castlebar
The Roscommon U-20 football panel before Wednesday evening's Connacht U-20 Football Championship encounter against Mayo as Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar. Picture: Roscommon GAA
Despite a positive start, the Roscommon U-20 footballers opened the defence of their Connacht championship with a five-point defeat against Mayo in perfect conditions at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, on Wednesday evening.
A first-half goal from John MacMonagle alongside an eight-point haul from the impressive Tom Lydon proved to be the difference as Roscommon had to give second best after a bright opening.
Cian Smith's side made a bright start and were 0-8 to 0-4 ahead after 21 minutes.
With a slight breeze in their favour, John Curran opened his side’s account with a two-pointer before Rory Carthy came into his own with a two-point free and a point from play.
But the dangerous Lydon was causing plenty of headaches for the Roscommon defence, and his hat-trick of points from play alongside another from Niall Hurley brought the sides level after 26 minutes.
It got better from the home side when John MacMonagle reacted quickest to an effort that came back off the crossbar to palm the ball to the net, meaning that Mayo had hit unanswered 1-4 approaching the break.
But wing-forward Brendan Murphy stemmed the side somewhat on the hooter, leaving Roscommon 1-8 to 0-9 in arrears.
A couple of half-time substitutions had the desired impact as points from David Higgins and John Curran got Roscommon back on level terms early in the second half.
But Mayo bossed the remainder of the contest, helped by introduction of Darragh Beirne who had lined out for St. Colman’s, Claremorris, in the Hogan Cup final on Monday.
Substitute Ruairi Kilcline grabbed Roscommon’s last score of the contest at the three-quarter stage, and while Carthy was denied a goal after being set up by John McGuinness, the visitors never really looked like making sufficient inroads.
Lydon’s eighth point of the evening pushed his side’s lead out to five points, and they comfortably held on until the final whistle.
Roscommon must dust themselves down for the visit of Sligo to King and Moffatt Dr. Hyde Park on Wednesday evening next.
