Minor footballers leave best form behind them to exit All-Ireland race
Conor Tighe and his Roscommon minor football team-mates fell short against Derry at Kingspan Breffni on Saturday evening. Picture: INPHO/Tom O’Hanlon
Roscommon saved their poorest performance of the season for Saturday evening's All-Ireland MFC quarter-final in Cavan, ensuring Shane Moran's side were the only provincial winner not to make the last four.
A poor first-half showing unravelled Roscommon's prospects, and they never recovered as Derry set up a semi-final meeting against Cork.
Despite not being named in the match-day 24, Player of the Match in the Connacht final, Enda Browne, started at wing-back, as did Bobby Lenehan (who was originally named among the substitutes) at wing-forward, meaning that the same team that had edged out Galway took to the field at Kingspan Breffni.
But the quality of the performances were poles apart as Roscommon never got going against a more physical and streetwise side that dominated the middle third to lay their platform for victory.
The winners were the better team in the opening half against lethargic opponents that never got to the pitch of the contest.
They set out their stall early, keeping the ball for 90 seconds before Rocco Devlin spotted a gap and breeze into the space to fire over a score.
Impressive wing-back Lorcan Higgins doubled his side’s lead before Joshua Coyne, having missed two earlier frees, pointed a ’45 to get the Rossies off the mark.
But Derry were winning the middle third battle at their leisure, and when Tomás Devlin and Higgins made inroads from the left flank, the latter squared possession for Gabriel Gormley to palm the ball into the net in the 22nd minute.
Roscommon responded immediately through a free from Cathal Nerney but a hat-trick of well-constructed points from Don Mulholland, Neil McDermott and Tadgh Bradley moved Derry six points ahead.
Indeed, they should have been further in front but Mulholland blazed his shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
Still, a 1-5 to 0-2 half-time lead for Derry was an accurate reflection of the opening half’s trajectory.
Kieran Glackin’s side padded out that buffer on the resumption with rapid-fire scores from Higgins, Jarlath McCartney and Rocco Devlin.
Then, out of nowhere, Roscommon manufactured a lifeline. Substitute Seán Duggan kicked a two-pointer before Seamie Carthy teed up Jayden Concannon for a goal to, unbelievably, leave just before points between the teams.
Crucially, Derry continued to dominate their own kickout, and that superiority ensured they were always able to create opportunities.
Neil McDermott converted a two-point free, and even though an orange flag from Ronan Carr kept Roscommon in touch, Rocco Devlin’s superb individual goal with five minutes remaining sealed his side’s place in the last four.
A second yellow card for Conor O’Kane failed to disrupt Derry’s momentum and even though Seamie Carthy landed Roscommon’s third two-pointer of the half, the Connacht champions were, ultimately, left to rue a disappointing performance as Derry marched on to the last four.
Scorers for Derry: Rocco Devlin 1-2, Gabriel Gormley 1-0, Neil McDermott 0-3 (1 2pf), Lorcan Higgins 0-2, Tadhg Bradley 0-2, Don Mulholland 0-1, Jarlath McCartney 0-1, Tomás Devlin 0-1.
Scorers for Roscommon: Seamie Carthy 0-3 (1 2pf, 1f), Jayden Concannon 1-0, Seán Duggan 0-2 (1 2p), Ronan Carr 0-2 (1 2p), Joshua Coyne 0-1 (1’45), Cathal Nerney 0-1 (1f).
Derry: Michael Doherty; Dan McEldowney, Conor Sargent, Dara McKaigue; Jarlath McCartney, Connail Campbell, Lorcan Higgins; Gabriel Gormley, Joey Mullan; Conor O’Kane, Dan Mulholland, Neil McDermott; Tomás Devlin, Tadhg Bradley, Rocco Devlin. Subs used: Cormac McGuckian for Campbell (51), Fionn McGilloway for Gormley (58), Pól McPeake for McDermott (59), Tadhg Scullion for McCartney (59), Donnacha Collins for Rocco Devlin (60).
Roscommon: Zac Mullally; Dara Kelleher, Conor Tighe, Colm Fitzgerald; Tadgh Fallon, Jack Brooks, Enda Browne; Jack Lally, Seamie Carthy; Ronan Carr, Joshua Coyne, Bobby Lenehan; Cathal Nerney, Jayden Jennings, Jayden Concannon. Subs used: Seán Duggan for Coyne (h-t), James O’Brien for Jennings (35), Aaron Martin for Nerney (35), Dylan Goode for Lenehan (53), Daniel Nerney for Browne (59), Mickey McTeigue for Martin (temp, 60).
Referee: Eamonn English (Dublin).
