Roscommon edge out Leitrim to make it four wins from four in provincial minor football championship
Luke Shally, who scored 1-4, and his Roscommon minor football team-mates have rounded off the group stages of this year's Connacht championship with a fourth win on the bounce. Picture: Gerard O'Loughlin
Two frees in injury-time from Luke Shally and Dara Curran enabled Roscommon to make it four wins from four in this year’s Connacht Minor Football Championship at Shane McGettigan Park, Drumshanbo, on Friday evening.
A highly entertaining contest, in which Roscommon manager Shane Moran tested the depth of his squad who were already bound for the Connacht final before the game, saw Leitrim make an excellent comeback to draw level before the visitors held their nerve to prevail.
Adam Killian’s 19th minute goal was the highlight of a cagey opening stanza from a Roscommon perspective but Thomas Gunn’s green flag brought Leitrim back into the contest, and it took a number of superb saves from Kilmore goalkeeper Mark Carroll to keep the home side at bay.
A couple of late two-pointers approaching half time from Seamie Carthy and Conor Kelly handed Roscommon a 1-8 to 1-5 interval advantage, and when Luke Shally gathered Killian’s mishit shot at the start of the second half to grab his side’s second goal, the visitors looked to be on their way.
They should have kicked on but missed a number of excellent goalscoring chances.
Leitrim, inspired by centre-forward Senan McGowan who kicked three two-pointers in the second half, made the most of their reprieve and they recovered from a five-point deficit with seven minutes remaining to draw level.
All the momentum was with the home side at this stage, but Shally and Curran ensured that Roscommon’s record remained unblemished as they look forward to a Connacht final against either Mayo or Galway on May 9th.
Afterwards, Shane Moran highlighted that Roscommon had used 28 players over the course of the four group games, praising his players for grinding out the win against what he felt was an excellent Leitrim team.
ROSCOMMON: M. Carroll; C. Tighe, T. Fallon, D. Mannion; R. Connolly, D. O’Higgins (0-1), J. Cassidy (0-1); C. Kelly (0-3, one 0-2), A. Killian (1-0); S. Carthy (0-2, one 0-2), D. Casey (0-1, a free), L. Shally (1-4, one free); M. Shally, S. Vaughan, B. O’Dowd. Subs used: Z. Mullally for Carroll (half-time), D. Curran (0-2, two frees) for Casey (35 mins), B. Lenehan (0-1) for M. Shally (41 mins), E. Browne for Connolly (45 mins), R. Carr for Tighe (54 mins).
