Small crowd, big win as hurlers impress

Small crowd,  big win as  hurlers impress NHL Div. 3B Roscommon 4-20  Cavan           2-4 Roscommon took another big step towards promotion from Division Three of the National Hurling league when they easily accounted for a poor Cavan side in this one-sided match played in Knockcroghery last Sunday.   Roscommon were never in trouble in this game and they led by 2-10 to 1-1 at half-time and the rout continued in the second half as David McConn and his selectors took the opportuinity to use a full compliment of substitutes.   One more win against second from bottom Fermanagh will see Roscommon top the table and they should be able to do that without too much fuss.   While their opposite numbers on the senior football team were playing in front of 5,000 people in Hyde Park the senior hurlers played in front of a crowd that scarcely numbered 50 people. Surely the powers-that-be could come to some arrangement wherby both teams are not playing at home at the exact same time on a Sunday?  Roscommon team and scorers: D. Connell; N. Cunniffe, M. Mulry, D. Kenny; P. Downey, M. Kelly, A Cunniffe (0-1); T. Lennon (0-3), M. Connaughton (0-4); S. Melia, B. Kelly (0-4), G. Fallon (0-2); C. Kelly, D. Loughnane (2-2), L Casey (2-2). Subs: D. Delaney for Downey; D. Mulvey (0-1) for Fallon; J. Galvin (0-1) for Melia; J. Moran for Casey and T. Galvin for C. Kelly. Minors resume  winning ways Connacht Minor League  Roscommon      1-11 Leitrim               0-4  Roscommon gained their first victory in the Connacht Minor League when they had ten points to spare over a very weak Leitrim side at Elphin last Saturday evening.   While no-one was getting despondant after the defeat at the hands of Mayo the previous week equally no-one should be leaping about with excitement after this game either.   Fergal O’Donnell and his selectors are getting their team together for the big tests that lie ahead and this was simply another part of that learning process and a chance to look at a few more players.   Roscommon showed in the second half that they have the talent to mount a serious defence of their Connacht title later in the year when they outscored their opponents by 0-7 to 0-1.   Roscommon play their next game in The Connacht Minor League next Saturday against Sligo at Markievicz Park with a 1 o’clock throw-in time (curtain-raiser to the Roscommon/Sligo U 21 match).  ROSCOMMON TEAM AND SCORERS:  D. O’Malley; C. Boylan, J. Sharkey, R. Gleeson; N. Brogan, J. McCague, K. Brady (0-1); K. Cox, K. Higgins; A. O’Hara, P. O’Grady (0-2), D. McDermott; P. Garvey (0-4), K. Cummins (1-3), E. Tiernan.  Subs: L. McNeela for Gleeson, A. Duffy for Tiernan, P. Kelly for Cummins, N. Blighe for O’Hara, E. Stritch for Cox.