Roscommon hang on to make winning start to Connacht Minor Football Championship
Roscommon minor football captain, Tadgh Fallon, tries to break out of defence during Friday evening's Connacht MFC game against Sligo at Kilcoyne Park, Tubbercurry. Picture: Bernie O'Farrell
Roscommon hung on for dear life to get their Connacht MFC off to a winning start, but only after surviving a stirring Sligo second-half comeback at Kilcoyne Park, Tubbercurry, on Friday evening.
Shane Moran’s young men were ten points to the good approaching half time, but they lost their way completely in the second half, going 21 minutes after the break without a score.
But, despite a couple of two-pointers from Sligo centre-forward Danny Feeney and a 56th minute goal from Oisín Gormley, the four second-half points Roscommon managed to register, ultimately, proved to be enough to sneak the victory.
Roscommon laid down the terms of engagement early, keeping the ball for 80 seconds before Rossa O’Dowd’s effort was tipped over the bar by Sligo goalkeeper, James Broderick.
Oisín Gormley — his side’s sole first-half scorer — restored parity on the turn before Roscommon went on to hit 1-7 without reply.
Seamie Carthy and Jack Brooks found the target, and it got better for the visitors when Enda Browne landed a superb two-pointer.
Carthy grabbed his second point of the evening in the 18th minute to move the young Rossies five points clear.
The decisive score of the half arrived moments later when O’Dowd, who was on a mark advantage, launched an effort towards goal but Broderick lost the flight of the ball in the sun, and the ball ended up in the net.
Cathal Nerney and Joshua Coyne became Roscommon’s fifth and sixth different scorers respectively, but Gormley gave Sligo a sliver of hope by adding two late frees from the same position to leave the home side trailing by 1-8 to 0-3 at the break.
Roscommon couldn’t engineer any momentum in the third quarter as the fluency of the opening 30 minutes completely evaporated.
Aodhan Hannon, Seán Óg McDonagh, Ryan Healy and Feeney grabbed scores for Sligo, although the Yeats County will feel that their dominance deserved more.
Roscommon lost their grip in the middle third and snatched at the couple of chances that did come their way as nerves set in.
Still, a hat-trick of points from Joshua Coyle (two frees) and Bobby Lenehan between the 51st and 54th minutes appeared to suggest that they had weathered the storm as their side's lead was padded back out to seven points.
But there was another gear in Sligo. The excellent Feeney landed a two-pointer before a similar attempt from the same player broke out into the path of Oisín Gormley, and he lashed the ball beyond Zac Mullally to leave just two points in it.
As Sligo pushed for parity, a breach allowed Coyne to ease nerves with a simple free, but Feeney responded with a two-point free to leave the bare minimum between the sides.
But Roscommon lived to tell the tale in the knowledge that major improvement will be required before Galway visit King and Moffatt Dr. Hyde Park next Friday evening.
ROSCOMMON: Zac Mullally (Clann na nGael); Conor Tighe (Strokestown), Tadgh Fallon (St. Brigid’s), Colm Fitzgerald (St. Dominic’s); Dara Kelleher (Kilbride), Jack Brooks (Pádraig Pearses, 0-1), Enda Browne (Pádraig Pearses, 0-2, one 0-2); Jack Lally (Kilbride), Seamie Carthy (Roscommon Gaels, 0-2); Rossa O’Dowd (Shannon Gaels, 1-1), Ronan Carr (St. Ciaran’s), Bobby Lenehan (Clann na nGael, 0-1); Cathal Nerney (Roscommon Gaels, 0-1); Jayden Jennings (Tulsk Lord Edwards), Joshua Coyne (St. Brigid’s, 0-4, three frees).
Subs used: James O’Brien (St. Brigid’s) for O’Dowd (41 mins), Cillian McGowan (St. Barry’s) for Jennings (41 mins), Seán Duggan (St. Dominic’s for Carthy (51 mins), Mikey McTeigue (Ballinameen) for Kelleher (57 mins), Daniel Nerney (Roscommon Gaels) for Brooks (58 mins).
SLIGO: James Broderick; Jake Noone, Hugh O’Connell, Pól Arnold; Seán Óg McDonagh (0-1), Éanna Giblin, Bríain McGauran; Allan Smyth, Niall Willis; Oisín Gormley (1-3, two frees), Danny Feeney (0-5, one 0-2, one 0-2 free), Jason Davey; Aodhan Hannon (0-1), Matthew Gillen, Ryan Healy (0-1). Subs used: Niall Gillen for Óg McDonagh (temp, 27-30 mins), Jack Kelly for Willis (36 mins), Cian Ó Flaherty for Davey (41 mins), Miceál Garry for Hannon (51 mins).
Referee: Martin Feeney.
