Roscommon's championship aspirations come crashing down around them
Monaghan midfielder Karl Gallagher fields possession ahead of Roscommon's Keith Doyle during Saturday evening's All-Ireland SFC Round 2B game at St. Tiernach's Park, Clones. Picture: INPHO/Tom O’Hanlon
Roscommon’s championship ambitions came crashing down around them once again as they were emphatically dumped out of the championship by Monaghan at St. Tiernach’s Park, Clones.
The gap was nine points in the end but, in truth, the gulf in class between the teams was much more than that as Monaghan controlled matters from the second quarter onwards against a side that looked a pale shadow of the team that had conquered Connacht five weeks earlier.
Roscommon’s deficit was manageable at half time — trailing by five points with the wind to come — but they were just as abject after the break, lacking a cutting edge to trouble the Monaghan rearguard.
In reality, they were humiliated by the home side once Paul Faloon brought a game, that was expected to be close beforehand, to an end.
With Rory Beggan’s accuracy on the money off the tee, Monaghan were always guaranteed possession, and they exerted undisputed control to keep the scoreboard ticking over, with Conor McCarthy delivering a tour-de-force from wing-back.
Despite the surprise inclusion of Enda Smith, who had been ruled out of the game earlier in the week through injury, in the match-day 26, the spark that characterised Roscommon’s earlier championship games was missing, especially up front where too much ball was gifted back to Monaghan, and at midfield where they were soundly beaten.
Only Monaghan’s inaccuracy in front of the posts — they hit nine first-half wides in comparison to Roscommon’s one — allowed the Connacht champions to gain a foothold as, slowly but surely, Mark Dowd’s side worked the scoreboard.
The opening four points were shared — Diarmuid Murtagh and Dylan Ruane on target for Roscommon, while Dessie Ward and Stephen Mooney split the posts for Monaghan.
As Monaghan’s confidence drained away from a series of missed opportunities, Roscommon made them pay as a hat-trick of scores from Daire Cregg and Murtagh’s second point opened up a 0-6 to 0-2 lead after 21 minutes.
But Roscommon were struggling on their own kickouts, and with Conor McCarthy becoming more influential, Monaghan furrowed a path back into the contest.
The catalyst was an effortless two-pointer from Jack McCarron. Then McCarthy raised a white flag before Stephen Mooney worked his way in from the right wing and crashed the ball to the net in the 29th minute.
Darragh Heneghan responded for Roscommon but McCarthy was on target again before a quick ’45 from Beggan — after Carroll denied Mooney a second goal — found McCarron and he didn’t need a second invite to register his second two-pointer of the evening and hand his side a 1-9 to 0-7 buffer at the change of ends.
Roscommon kept the ball for two and a half minutes on the resumption before Diarmuid Murtagh arrowed over an inspirational two-pointer.
Dylan Ruane added a score soon afterwards to leave just two points between the teams, and the comeback looked on.
But, sadly, that was as good as it got.
Conor Ryan and Keith Doyle were eventually withdrawn from midfield as Monaghan continued to dominate their own kickout.
But Roscommon weren’t applying enough pressure all over the field, and that made it easy for Monaghan to pick their moments to strike.
From there until the end of the match, Roscommon were outscored by 0-11 to 0-4 as Monaghan did what they pleased.
A necklace of well-constructed scores followed for Gabriel Bannigan’s men as Micheál Bannigan, Dessie Ward (2), Micheál McCarville, Oisín McGorman, Man of the Match Conor McCarthy, Jack McCarron (2), Andrew Woods, David Garland and Ryan McAnespie found the target.
Roscommon’s sole response was scores from Ruane, Jack Duggan, Cian McKeon and Conor Hand.
After retaining their Division One status and winning a Connacht title, this All-Ireland Series was supposed to be different.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t, leaving the players and management with plenty of time to reflect on a campaign that, in reality, was no different to previous campaigns in terms of making an impact on the All-Ireland Series.
Top flight league victories and provincial titles are lovely, but the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship is where it’s at, and Roscommon are as far away as ever from making their mark.
In other words, a case of the same old story.
MONAGHAN: R. Beggan; R. Wylie; K. Lavelle, D. Byrne; D. Ward (0-3), R. O’Toole, C. McCarthy (0-3); M. McCarville (0-1), K. Gallagher; S. O’Hanlon, M. Bannigan (0-1), O. McGorman (0-1); J. McCarron (0-7, one 0-2, one 0-2 free, one free), A. Woods (0-1), S. Mooney (1-1). Subs used: D. Garland (0-1) for Mooney (53 mins), M. Maguire for McGorman (57 mins), R. McAnespie (0-1) for Woods (65 mins), D. McElearney for O’Hanlon (69 mins).
ROSCOMMON: C. Carroll; B. Stack, C. Keogh, E. McCormack; E. Ward, R. Daly, S. Lambe; K. Doyle, C. Ryan; D. Ruane (0-3), D. Heneghan (0-1), C. Neary; D. Murtagh (0-4, one 0-2), D. Cregg (0-3), R. Heneghan. Subs used: S. Cunnane for Ryan (blood sub, 10-24 mins), J. Duggan (0-1) for Ryan (45 mins), C. Hand (0-1) for R. Heneghan (46 mins), S. Cunnane for Doyle (46 mins), C. McKeon (0-1) for Cregg (53 mins), E. Smith for Keogh (62 mins).
Referee: P. Faloon (Down).
