Heroic Roscommon edged out by Mayo in epic Connacht U-20 football final
Roscommon U-20 players, Conor Kelly and Cathal McKeon, are dejected at the final whistle of Wednesday evening's Connacht U-20 football final at Tuam Stadium. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
Roscommon defied their underdogs status with a heroic performance against red-hot favourites Mayo at a sun-splashed Tuam Stadium but it wasn’t enough to prevent the “Green and Red” from winning their first Connacht U-20 crown since 2018.
Cian Smith’s side found themselves 1-7 to 0-1 behind after 19 minutes but four goals kept them in touch in an epic contest that was decided by small margins.
Referee Thomas Murphy, after consulting with his umpires, made a controversial late call in injury time when he disallowed a goal by substitute Ruairí Kilcline for what looked like a dubious square ball.
A goal at that stage would have catapulted the Rossies a point in front but Mayo came back down the field, with Tom Lydon landing his fifth point of the evening to confirm his side as champions.
Mayo were the better-balanced team, while Roscommon relied on a few heroic individual performances, most notably the Carthy brothers, Eoin Collins and Tommy Morris.
The champions-in-waiting should have been out the gap at half time, but Roscommon showed their fighting spirit with a hat-trick of goals, including two superb individual efforts from John McGuinness, to only trail by two points at the break.
Roscommon looked assured in the opening few minutes, and John Curran gave them a deserved lead in the third minute.
But Mayo took flight, hitting 1-7 without reply between the fifth and 19th minutes.
Their transition from defence to attack alongside their dominance on the Roscommon kickout allowed their full-forward line of Darragh Beirne, Niall Hurley and Tom Lydon to show what they could do.
A point by Oisín Cronin got the ball rolling for the pre-match favourites before further scores followed from wing-back Hugh O’Loughlin and the ever-dangerous Lydon.
In the eight minute, Mayo won another kickout and Lydon duly sent midfielder Seamus Howard galloping towards goal for the simplest of three-pointers.
The Mayo punishment continued with a couple of frees from Lydon and Beirne, which was followed by Hurley’s first point of the evening.
Roscommon were on life-support, and a two-point free from Rory Carthy was needed in the 20th minute.
But when the Roscommon Gaels full-forward fetched John Curran’s 21st minute delivery from the left to find the net — which was immediately followed by a converted mark by substitute Brian Greene — Roscommon only trailed by 1-7 to 1-4.
Hurley, after a superb fetch around the middle by Oliver Armstrong, stopped Roscommon’s momentum momentarily with a score but a superb goal by John McGuinness left just a point between them.
Colm McHale fisted a point for Mayo, and when the “Green and Red” snaffled a kickout by Patrick Gaynor, Darragh Beirne wasn’t going to miss from a few yards out.
But, incredibly, there was a third goal for Roscommon when McGuinness repeated his party piece, bursting through the Mayo defence for an assured finish to leave his side trailing by 2-9 to 3-4 at the break.
The scores dried up in the third quarter, although a couple of superb saves from Roscommon goalkeeper Patrick Gaynor denied Oisín Cronin and Hurley.
Points from Lydon and O’Loughlin stretched Mayo’s lead further, but Roscommon stayed in touch through Greene and Carthy (two frees).
When Rob Heneghan fisted the ball to the net with just seven minutes remaining, Roscommon were back on level terms but in their next two attacks, McGuinness and Greene couldn’t find the target.
Points from McHale, this third of the evening, substitute Dara Neary and Beirne re-established Mayo’s lead.
Conor Grogan’s point looked like a consolation but when Rory Carthy’s delivery from the right was fisted to the net by Kilcline, Roscommon were — for a few seconds at least — on the cusp of pulling off the most unlikely of victories.
But the goal was disallowed, and Lydon’s last score of the game edged Mayo over the line.
It was that close.
MAYO: Conor Meaney; Rio Mortimer, Paul Gilmore, Eoin McGreal; Hugh O’Loughlin (0-2), John MacMonagle, Colm McHale (0-3); Oliver Armstrong, Seamus Howard (1-0); Oisín Cronin (0-1), Cathal Keaveney, Colm Lynch; Darragh Beirne (1-3, two frees)), Niall Hurley (0-2), Tom Lydon (0-5, three frees). Subs used: Yousif Coghill for McGreal (17 mins), Dara Neary (0-1) for Cronin (41 mins), Diarmuid Duffy for Lynch (44 mins), Luke Feeney for Armstrong (52 mins), Daithi Butler for Gilmore (55 mins).
ROSCOMMON: Patrick Gaynor (Western Gaels); Keelan Kelly (Pádraig Pearses), Tommy Morris (St. Aidan’s), Cillian Campbell (St. Barry’s); Conor Grogan (0-1, Roscommon Gaels), Eoghan Carthy (Roscommon Gaels), Conor Kelly (Boyle); Niall Heneghan (Michael Glaveys), David Higgins (Western Gaels); Eoin Collins (St. Croan’s), Robert Heneghan (1-0, Michael Glaveys), Ryan Dowling (Roscommon Gaels); John Curran (0-1, Castlerea St. Kevin’s), Rory Carthy (1-4, one 0-2 free, two frees, Roscommon Gaels), John McGuinness (2-0, Roscommon Gaels). Subs used: Brian Greene (0-2, one mark, Éire Óg) for K. Kelly (21 mins), Cathal McKeon (Boyle) for Dowling (47 mins), Ciarán O’Reilly (Roscommon Gaels) for Higgins (51 mins), Ruairí Kilcline (St. Dominic’s) for Heneghan (55 mins).
Referee: Thomas Murphy (Galway).
