Rossies rout Rebels to get league campaign back on track

Roscommon 2-21

Cork 0-13

Allianz Division Two Football League

Roscommon got their Division Two promotion bid back on track with a comprehensive 14-point victory in perfect conditions against Cork at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday evening.

While Cork were a huge disappointment, Roscommon were ultra-professional in the way they went about their business as Enda Smith, from the penalty spot, and Ben O’Carroll added second-half goals to put the gloss on a very encouraging performance after last week’s disappointment against Meath in Navan.

Roscommon were sluggish early on, as evidenced when Diarmuid Murtagh was pinged for a 3v3 breach, allowing Mark Cronin score the game’s opening two-pointer from a free.

That score pushed Cork 0-3 to 0-1 ahead after Cronin (free) and Roscommon wing-back Robbie Dolan exchanged the first two points of the game.

Ben O’Carroll and Conor Hand, from a ’45, brought the Rossies level but points from Cronin, who accounted for all but one of the Rebels’ opening half scores, and Cathail O’Mahony left the home side 0-5 to 0-3 ahead after 16 minutes.

Roscommon needed to awake from their slumber, and they did just that by hitting six points in a row.

Shane Cunnane converted a mark before Diarmuid Murtagh, after a quiet start, came to life with two frees and a two-point free. O’Carroll also slotted over his second point of the evening to put the visitors in control.

Cronin (free) and Murtagh (two-point free) exchanged scores before Cronin arced over the game’s first two-pointer from play.

But there was still time for Conor Hand to split the posts on the hooter to hand Davy Burke’s men a 0-12 to 0-8 advantage at the interval.

Early scores from Ultan Harney and Conor Hand, with his side’s first two-pointer from play, showed that Roscommon meant business.

Points from Cronin (free) and Tommy Walsh hinted at a Cork revival but when Ciarán Lennon was upended after Roscommon held possession for over three minutes, Smith kept his cool from the penalty spot.

A mistake from Cork goalkeeper Patrick Doyle gifted Ben O'Carroll a second goal with six minutes remaining as the Rossies responded impressively to last week’s reversal in Navan.

Promotion is very much back in their own hands with games against Cavan and Westmeath to come.

ROSCOMMON: C. Carroll; P. Frost, J. McManus, N. Higgins; S. Cunnane (0-1, a mark), D. Murray, R. Dolan (0-1); E. Smith (1-0, penalty), K. Doyle; B. O’Carroll (1-3), U. Harney (0-1), C. Hand (0-6, two 0-2, one ’45); D. Murtagh (0-7, two 0-2 frees, two frees), C. McKeon, C. Lennon. Subs used: C. Murtagh (0-1, a free) for McKeon (half-time), R. Daly for McManus (44 mins), E. Nolan for Harney (50 mins), D. Ruane for Lennon (69 mins), N. Daly (0-1) for Dolan (64 mins).

CORK: P. Doyle; S. Brady, D. O’Mahony, N. Lordan; B. O’Driscoll, R. Maguire, M. Taylor; I. Maguire, C. O’Callaghan; P. Walsh (0-1), T. Walsh (0-1), S. McDonnell; M. Cronin (0-8, one 0-2, one 0-2 free, three frees, one mark) , C. Óg Jones, C. O’Mahony (0-1). Subs used: S. Powter (0-1) for Walsh (42 mins), R. Deane for O’Mahony (44 mins), S. Walsh for McDonnell (57 mins), C. Cahalane for Walsh (62 mins), H. O’Connor for Óg Jones (65 mins).

Referee: S. Lonergan (Tipperary).