Electric Ireland Connacht U-17 Football Championship Quarter-Final
Roscommon 4-13 Mayo 2-12
For the second time in three days, a Roscommon side beat Mayo at underage level by seven points in the championship, and this time it was a superb team performance at Dr. Hyde Park on Friday night to advance to face Galway in the Connacht minor semi-final tomorrow night (Friday) in Tuam.
In sweltering conditions, the Roscommon attack was lethal in the opening half, converting no less than four goal chances. However, in the second half, it was the Roscommon defence which came to the fore as Mayo came looking for the scores they needed to rescue their situation, and the hosts’ rearguard stood firm with some outstanding play.
In the early stages, Mayo were slightly the better team and led by 0-4 to 0-2 after ten minutes, but in the 13th minute Ryan Conlon converted a penalty and Roscommon never looked back after that.
Roscommon’s second goal came from Shane McGinley in the 20th minute after a very slick attacking move and almost immediately Colm Neary crashed home Roscommon’s third goal.
There was some respite for Mayo in the 27th minute when Fiachra Cruise netted on the rebound after his penalty was well saved by Roscommon goalkeeper Sean Kelly. But the Rossies were rampant, and just a minute later Shane McGinley put Robert Heneghan through and he made no mistake to leave the half-time score Roscommon 4-6 Mayo 1-8.
Mayo improved in the second half but the Roscommon defence and midfield were magnificent and they got some vital scores to stay ahead on the scoreboard. DJ Hession had a great game at midfield and he kicked two super points in the early stages of the second half.
Mayo scored their second goal in the 45th minute through Brian McHale but Roscommon always had their opponents at arm’s length and with Conor Hanley and Ethan O’Reilly marshalling the defence superbly, were certainly not flattered by their seven-point winning margin.
Roscommon scorers: Bobby Nugent (0-4, 2 frees), Shane McGinley, Colm Neary and Robert Heneghan (1-1) each, Ryan Conlon (1-0, pen), DJ Hession (0-3), Shane Walsh (0-2), James McGreal (0-1)
Roscommon U-17 panel: Luke McGrath, Joseph Coyle, Niall O’Donnell, Eden Kerins, Daniel Casey, David Flanagan, Gavin O’Connor, Oisin O’Flaherty, Rory Colgan, Sean Kelly, James McGreal, Aenghus McDonagh, Daniel Hagney, Robert Heneghan, Cormac Heneghan, Evan Gunn, Matthew Shally, Aodhan Looby, Shane Walsh, Adam McGreal, Conor Harley, Ryan Conlon, Rory Carty, Senan Lambe, DJ Hession, Ethan O’Reilly, Aaron Taylor, Jack Lannon, Patrick Charles, Bobby Nugent, Paddy Higgins, Ronan McDermott, Sean Moran, Shane McGionley, Colm Neary, Adam Tighe, James Brady, Rory Hester, Anthony Durr.
