Tyrone end Roscommon minor footballers' great adventure
Tyrone's Elliott Kerr and Pádraig Goodman tackle Roscommon's Luke Shally during Sunday afternoon's All-Ireland minor football championship semi-final at Kingspan Breffni on Sunday afternoon. Picture: INPHO/Leah Scholes
Roscommon's great run in this year's All-Ireland Minor Football Championship has come to an end after they had to give second best to a superior Tyrone side at Kingspan Breffni on Sunday afternoon.
Shane Moran's side took a deserved 1-5 to 0-5 lead after 26 minutes following Seamus Hussey's terrific goal.
But an unanswered 2-1 before the break, thanks to goals from Joel Kerr and Peter Colton, turned the game on its head and the Ulster champions kept their opponents at arm's length in the second half to run out convincing winners.
The teams swapped the opening four scores — Eoin Long and Darren McAnespie on target for Tyrone, while Luke Shally and Dean Casey replied for Roscommon.
A two-pointer from McAnespie edged Tyrone back in front before Roscommon weren’t overawed as Shally and Seamie Carthy, an audacious effort with the outside of the boot, left the sides level at 0-4 apiece after nine minutes.
Mulgrew and Carthy swapped points, but Roscommon struck a big blow when wing back Hussey finished off a sweeping move with a cracking goal But Tyrone’s response was lethal, helped by those goals from Kerry and Colton, to give them a flattering 2-6 to 1-5 interval advantage.
Roscommon could never generate the momentum to make inroads in the second half.
Tyrone lost Thomas Meenan to a black card but a couple of early frees from Pearses McDonald and Eoin Long stretched their advantage further.
Roscommon ran into black card trouble when a trip by goalkeeper Cian Trimble on Kerr led to a penalty, but stand-in ‘keeper Dean Casey saved Kerr’s resultant spot kick.
But Tyrone were always able to keep the scoreboard ticking over through points from Aodhan Quinn, Long, Meenan and Cathal Farley — the latter’s point meaning that all six Tyrone starting forwards contributed to the scoreboard.
Casey (free), Shally and Christopher Feerick added to Roscommon’s tally but it was never going to be enough to a trouble a more physically imposing side that comfortably booked their place in the decider.
Scorers – Tyrone: E Long (1f), D McAnespie (1 2p) 0-3 each, J Kerr, P Colton 1-0 each, J Mulgrew 0-2, P McDonald (1f), A Quinn, T Meenan, C Farley 0-1 each.
Roscommon: L Shally 0-3, S Hussey 1-0, D Casey (1f), S Carthy 0-2 each, C Feerick 0-1
TYRONE - R Donnelly; E Kerr, P Goodman, C McCrystal; A Quinn, J Daly, T Meehan; J Mulgrew, P Donaghy; D McAnespie, P Colton, C Farley; J Kerr, E Long, P McDonald. Subs: V Gormley for McDonald (49), MF Daly for Kerr (55), M Mullin for Meenan (57), D Martin for Colton (59)
ROSCOMMON - C Trimble; J Cassidy, T Rogers, C Tighe; S Carthy, D O’Higgins, S Hussey; A Oates, S Hannon; C Feerick, D Curran, L Shally; J Price, S McGuinness, D Casey. Subs: A Killian for Hussey (52), M Shally for Cassidy (55), C Kelly for Hannon (59), T Fallon for Feerick (60)
REF - C Maguire (Clare).
