Roscommon senior hurling championship semi-finalists confirmed

The penultimate round of action in this year’s Roscommon Senior Hurling Championship saw Four Roads and Oran confirm their places in the last four with victories against Athleague and St. Dominic’s respectively in Woodmount on Sunday afternoon.

It was also a productive weekend for Pádraig Pearses. Their two-point victory against Tremane propelled them into the quarter-finals, while Tremane will have one last chance to secure knockout hurling when they face Roscommon Gaels in two weeks’ time.

The first game in Woodmount saw Four Roads account for Athleague in a high-scoring encounter, 4-13 to 3-12.

Jack McGahon’s seventh minute goal briefly edged Athleague 1-1 to 0-3 ahead but, in a nip and tuck opening half, Conor Morris found the net in the 20th minute to leave the defending champions 1-7 to 1-3 to the good.

Both sides exchanged goals before the change of ends — Cian Murray (Athleague) and James Fitzmaurice (Four Roads) raising green flags for their respective sides to leave Four Roads 2-9 to 2-4 ahead at half time.

When Morris bagged 1-2 inside the opening four minutes of the second half, Four Roads were in the box seat.

Murray and Fitzmaurice exchanged goals inside a minute, and even though Ben McGahon’s accuracy from frees brought Athleague within striking distance, Eamon Mulry’s late point assured Four Roads of their place in the semi-finals.

An exhibition of shooting from Paddy Fallon enabled Oran to lower St. Dominic’s colours for the second year in succession in the second of Sunday afternoon’s games at Woodmount.

The Oran sharpshooter hit 0-15 — including nine frees, one sideline cut and five from play — to secure a deserved 0-23 to 2-14 victory, leaving his side only 60 minutes away from a potential county final appearance.

Oran made the brighter start, but a 19th minute goal from St. Dominic’s forward, Ruairi Kilcline, left the sides level, 0-7 to 1-4.

But Fallon was making his presence felt, and a 0-11 to 1-7 half-time lead was extended as a result his accuracy and another superb performance from Micheál Hussey in the Oran half-back line.

But Dominic’s threw themselves a lifeline in injury time when Gavin Staunton finished emphatically to the net to bring the sides level.

However, Oran came again, and frees from Paddy Fallon, goalkeeper Jerry Fallon and substitute Liam Ryan confirmed a deserved three-point triumph.

In the final game of the day, Peter Kellehan’s haul of 2-8 wasn’t enough to prevent Tremane from falling to a 1-17 to 2-12 defeat against Pádraig Pearses.

The winners were 0-11 to 2-4 ahead at the break, and when Seán Canning goaled from a 20-metre free early in the second half, they looked to be on their way to victory.

Tremane’s cause wasn’t helped by Darren Gately’s red card but Kellehan’s tour-de-force left the sides level, 1-14 to 2-11, with five minutes remaining.

But late points from Karl Feehily, Keelan Ryan and Canning got Pearses over the line, leaving Tremane to battle it out with Roscommon Gaels to see who joins Pearses, St. Dominic’s and Athleague in the quarter-finals.

*Match reports from all three senior hurling championship games in Tuesday’s Roscommon Herald.