U-20 footballers back on track after strong second-half showing topples Sligo
Roscommon corner-forward John Curran holds off the challenge of Sligo defender, James Lavin, during Wednesday evening's Connacht U-20 Football Championship encounter at King and Moffatt Dr. Hyde Park. Picture: Gerard O'Loughlin
The Roscommon U-20 footballers completed their own version of Operation Transformation, coming from 11 points down approaching half time to run out comfortable winners at a windy and bitterly cold King and Moffatt Dr. Hyde Park on Wednesday evening.
Goals either side of the break from Colin Murray and Eoin Collins provided the platform for Cian Smith's side to get their provincial campaign back on track.
Wind-assisted Sligo had built up an 11-point advantage, thanks to five two-pointers, approaching half time, but Murray’s goal gave the home side hope, which was further buttressed by Eoin Collins’ green flag early in the second half.
Within seven minutes of the second half, Sligo’s eight-point interval advantage had been wiped out, and Roscommon duly kicked on to put the game to bed and end up as ten-point winners.
The visitors were slick and sharp during the opening 30 minutes, and a series of orange flags from the lively Eamonn O’Mahony (two from play), Eli Rooney (two frees) and Cian Nicholson left the visitors, who ran Mayo close a week earlier, in a great position, leading by 0-14 to 0-3 after 28 minutes.
But Murray’s well-taken goal handed the Rossies a lifeline, and when Collins goaled within two minutes of the restart, Roscommon had all the encouragement they needed to finish the job.
St. Brigid’s forward, Charlie O’Carroll, took centre stage with a hat-trick of two-pointers to end up as the game’s top scorer with an eight-point haul, while Conor Grogan also pitched in with an orange flag.
Sligo simply couldn’t arrest the home side’s tsunami of scores as wing-back Colin Murray brought his tally to 1-2, while John Curran, Ruairí Kilcline, John McGuinness and captain Eoghan Carthy also troubled the scoreboard.
An Eli Rooney free was all Sligo had to show for their second half efforts as Roscommon made amends for last week’s loss against Galway with a comprehensive showing after the break to put themselves in the provincial championship picture ahead of next week’s visit to Mayo.
ROSCOMMON: P. Gaynor; D. O’Higgins, M. Gillooly, N. Birzins; K. Kelly, E. Carthy (0-1), C. Murray (1-2); N. Heneghan, C. Grogan (0-2, one 0-2); D. Casey, J. McGuinness (0-1), E. Collins (1-0); J. Curran (0-4, one free, one mark), R. Kilcline (0-1), C. O’Carroll (0-8, two 0-2, one 0-2 free, two frees). Subs: S. Tighe for Curran (45), C. McKeon for Casey (53), D. Higgins for Collins (56), R. Henry for Carthy (59), G. Casey for Gillooly (59).
SLIGO: G. Cummins; J. McHugh, P. Brady, J. Lavin; E. Keane (0-1), A. Lillie, O. Harte; C. Walsh, C. Gilligan; E. O’Mahony (0-4, two 0-2), M. Carroll (0-1), C. Nicholson (0-2, one 0-2); A. Lang (0-1), D. Mostyn, E. Rooney (0-6, two 0-2 frees, two frees). Subs: A. Feeney for Lang (41 mins), O. Devlin for Mostyn (41 mins), P. Flynn for Nicholson (48 mins), M. Walsh for Carroll (52 mins).
Referee: M. McGirl (Leitrim).
*Full report and reaction in Tuesday’s Roscommon Herald
