Roscommon comfortably claim FBD title after Dome stroll

Roscommon 2-25

Galway 0-13 

FBD Insurance Connacht Senior Football Final 

A triumph that did nothing for the future of pre-season competitions.

To Roscommon's credit, they took this year's FBD seriously. Working off a much smaller panel and without his St. Brigid's players, Davy Burke had no choice but to field relatively strong teams, but he was also able to blood new players as well - the way it should be.

As for Galway, a group of young, inexperienced players rocked up to The Dome and found themselves out of their league.

This was a cakewalk from start to finish. With 16 different scorers over the 70 minutes, Roscommon's power and pace were evident, and they duly brought home the Paddy Francis Dwyer Cup for the first time since 2019.

Goals from Eoin McCormack and Enda Smith sufficed. They missed another couple and Adam McDermott hit the crossbar. In other words, it could have been anything.

With captain Diarmuid Murtagh, on his 100th appearance, and Cathal Heneghan causing havoc up front, Roscommon were out of sight at half time, leading by 1-14 to 0-6.

From the opening whistle, Galway were punished ruthlessly for giving away possession cheaply.

A mark from Dylan Ruane and a free from Murtagh gave Roscommon some early leeway before their best player, Cillian Ó Curraoin, who ended up with 0-10, turned sharply to get Galway off the mark.

But a brace of points from Conor Cox (free) and Cian Connolly was followed by a well-taken Eoin McCormack goal in the ninth minute to put Davy Burke’s charges firmly in the driving seat.

Liam Costello grabbed Galway’s best score of the half, but Roscommon continued to pile on the pressure by hitting the next eight scores — Heneghan (2), Ciarán Lennon, Adam McDermott (2), Niall Higgins, Dylan Ruane and Cox (free) finding the target.

Cox and McDermott also spurned goal chances, as did Jack O’Neill, who rattled the crossbar for Galway, as the one-way traffic continued.

A black card for Niall Higgins alongside a raft of Roscommon substitutions gave Galway a breather, and they responded with a free from Antoine Ó’Laoi and a hat-trick of frees from Ó Curraoin.

Donie Smith marked his arrival with a couple of Roscommon points as they built up an unassailable 11-point lead at the interval.

The second half continued in much the same vein as Roscommon used all 11 substitutes. 

Niall Daly and Ciarán Lennon combined to set Enda Smith up for simple goal with five minutes remaining. Daire Cregg was the last substitute on the scene and he still managed two points.

Roscommon had been as good as their word. Three games in the FBD constituted their series of challenge games before the trip to Omagh on Sunday week.

But to call this a challenge would be stretching it.

Scorers – Roscommon: D Ruane (1m), C Heneghan, D Smith (2f) 0-3 each, E McCormack, E Smith 1-0 each, C Cox (2f), A McDermott, C Lennon, A Glennon, D Cregg (1f) 0-2 each, D Murtagh (1f), C Connolly, N Higgins, D Kenny, J Duggan, S Lambe 0-1 each. 

Galway: C Ó Curraoin (7f, 1 ’45) 0-10, L Costello, A Ó’Laoi (1f), C Darcy 0-1 each.

ROSCOMMON – C Caroll; P Gavin, L Glennon, C Keogh; N Higgins, E Flynn, E McCormack; K Doyle, D Ruane; C Connolly, D Murtagh, C Lennon; A McDermott, C Heneghan, C Cox. Subs: E Smith for Murtagh (23), A Glennon for Cox (24), D Smith for Connolly (33), N Daly for McCormack (33), D Kenny for Keogh (33), C Lavin for Carroll (h-t), D Murray for L Glennon (h-t), J Duggan for McDermott (41), S Lambe for Heneghan (45), C Walsh for Flynn (54), D Cregg for Doyle (60).

GALWAY – O Burke; L Boyle, B Mannion, D Varley; C Monaghan, J Kirrane, D Flaherty; C Brady, C Darcy; R Monaghan, A Ó Laoi, J O’Neill; L Costello, C Power, C Ó Curraoin. Subs: R Cunningham for O’Neill (30), D Kilcommins for Flaherty (33), G Davoren for Ó’Laoi (41), D Hunt for Monaghan (41), S McGrath for Costello (43), M Colleran for Power (50), C Rafferty for Brady (50).

REF – M McGirl (Leitrim).