Hodson Bay Hotel Roscommon SFC Quarter-Final
Roscommon Gaels 0-10
Pádraig Pearses 0-9
The fact that this game will take up very little time on the highlights reel of the 2018 SFC will not bother Roscommon Gaels too much as they withstood a late Pearses’ rally to reach the last four by the minimum margin in this well-contested, but low-quality contest at Kiltoom last Sunday.
The town team deserved to win the game on the balance of play throughout, but in racing parlance they idled in front and almost allowed Pearses to gain a share of the spoils. Indeed a shot from Niall Daly just after half-time which looked well inside the posts, was waved wide by the umpires and that could have been the difference. But it has to be said that the Gaels were the better side and should have won by more.
The opening half was very poor fare indeed. The Gaels started well, but shot four bad wides in the opening ten minutes. Indeed it was Pearses who led by 0-3 to 0-1 after 15 minutes with Tom Butler, Conor and Lorcan Daly all on target, with Peter Gillooly the Gaels’ only scorer to that point.
But three points on the spin from Mark Nally (2) and Tim Lambe saw them ahead for the first time in the game by the 18th minute. A Tom Butler point in the 23rd minute was the only other score of what was a forgettable first half that saw the sides go in at 0-4 apiece.
With David O’Gara and James McDermott on top at midfield, the Gaels were the better side for most of the second half. Indeed Pearses never managed a point from play after the break, which was an indication of their glaring weaknesses in attack.
Points from Cian Connolly (2, 1 free), Peter Gillooly, Tim Lambe and Richard Hughes saw Liam McNeill’s men ahead by 0-9 to 0-5 by the 48th minute, a Hubert Darcy free was Pearses’ only response. Cian Connolly and James O’Gara were on target with further points for the Gaels and a Seanie Fahy free meant that the Gaels were leading by ten points to six with just four minutes left.
Sub Seanie Fahy pointed another free after Tim Lambe was black-carded for a tackle on Tom Butler, and when Hubert Darcy was on target with another free in the 59th minute the margin was down to two. Suddenly the Gaels were wobbling, and when Fahy pointed another free in the 62nd minute it was a one point game. But time ran out for Pat Flanagan’s men and now Roscommon Gaels take on old rivals Clann na nGael in the semi-final next Sunday.
The town side will have to play a lot better than this if they are progress, but they are hanging in there and will relish a crack at Clann. The aforementioned David O’Gara, and James McDermott, Paul Gleeson and John McManus (second-half) and young guns Peter Gillooly and Tim Lambe played well for them. Pearses were very disappointing and toothless up front. David Murray, Tom Butler and sub Seanie Fahy did well on a bad day for the men from Taughmaconnell and Moore.
Teams and Scorers
Roscommon Gaels: James Featherston; Paul Gleeson, Liam McNeela, Kevin O’Gara; Ronan Gleeson, John McManus, Richard Hughes (0-1); James McDermott, David O’Gara; James O’Gara (0-1), Mark Healy, Tim Lambe (0-2); Cian Connolly (0-2, 1 free), Mark Nally (0-2), Peter Gillooly (0-2).
Subs used: Cillian Egan for Lambe (57, b/c), Bryan O’Gara for J O’Gara (62), J Nolan for Gillooly (63)
Pádraig Pearses: Thomas Dolan; Lorcan Daly, Mark Richardson, Gavin Downey; Cathal Óg O’Sullivan, Niall Carty, Davy Murray; Tom Butler (0-2), Niall Daly; Emmett Kelly, Hubert Darcy (0-2, 2 frees), Conor Daly (0-1); Ronan Daly (0-1), Conor Payne, Shane Mulvey.
Subs used: Paul Carey for Payne (41), S Fahy (0-3, 3 frees) for Mulvey (41), Alan Duffy for Downey (51 mins), Anthony Butler for Kelly (54 mins), David Whelan for O’Sullivan (54 mins), Shane Carty for L Daly (57 mins).
Referee: Marty Parker
Stat Attack
Wides: Roscommon Gaels 8 (5 first half) Pearses 5 (1 first half)
Yellow cards: Roscommon Gaels 4 (David O’Gara, John McManus, Ronan Gleeson (2)) Pearses 1 (Niall Carty)
Black cards: Roscommon Gaels 1 (Tim Lambe 56) Pearses 0
Red cards: Roscommon Gaels 1 (Ronan Gleeson 46 (2 yellows)) Pearses 0
Man of the Match: David O’Gara (Roscommon Gaels)
