GAA: Ruthless Rossies put Galway to the sword
By Jonny Burke
Galway 0-13 Roscommon 2-24
An hungry Roscommon side proved too strong for Galway in Friday nights Connacht FBD League Final in the Connacht GAA Air Dome, Bekan. Davy Burke’s charges were on top from the get go and breezed their way to a first FBD League title since 2019. For Pádraic Joyce and his young side it was a lesson learnt.
Roscommon showed their intent from the start and opened their account on two minutes from the boot of Dylan Ruane. The Tribesmen were slow out of the traps and Roscommon were in no mood to have pity on their opponents. A Diarmuid Murtagh free on four minutes was met with the first white flag of the night for Galway from the impressive Cillian Ó’Curraoin. It was a special night for Murtagh who was making his 100th appearance for the Primrose and Yellow.
The tackling and power of the Rossies saw the Galway forward line not seeing much of the ball. On eight minutes, a driving run from wing-back Eoin McCormack caught the Galway defense out and McCormack crashed the ball into the back of the net to leave the scores 0-1 to 1-4. Galway continued to fight and Liam Costello scored with the aid of the upright to keep his side ticking over.
Conor Heneghan who was a livewire all night powered his way through the Galway rearguard and sailed his effort over the black spot for another Roscommon score. Antaine Ó’Laoi slotted over another free on 13 minutes but, was quickly cancelled out by singles from the industrious Ciarán Lennon, Adam McDermott and the brilliant Niall Higgins to leave the scores at 0-3 to 1-8.
Roscommon continued to push on for more and Dylan Ruane accounted for one of the scores of the night with a bomb from 35 yards sailing between the posts. The lively McDermott tormented the full-back line and landed another point on his left side. Galway were not lying down for their counterparts and Jack O’Neill smashed a rocket against the crossbar on 21 minutes. The effort was punished straight away as Heneghan, yet again, demonstrated his talent with a fine point after a fantastic counter attack to leave a healthy distance of 11 points between the sides.
Davy Burke rang the changes as his side were well in the ascendancy and Enda Smith was drafted in. Cox sent another free over on 23 minutes and was himself, taken out of the action with one eye on facing Tyrone in the National League next weekend. Ó’Curraoin nailed another free on 26 minutes before the first and only black card was shown by referee Michael McGirl to Evan Flynn for a deliberate pulldown.
The introduction of Donie Smith to the fray just before the interval paved the way for two final scores for the Rossies as Smith, helped himself to two white flags to leave the scores at half-time of Roscommon 1-14 to Galway 0-6.
The second-half started with both sides making a raft of changes to prepare for the opening round of next weeks National Football League’s. Donie Smith teed up Heneghan for a point before, Declan Kenny sent a pearler over the bar from 40 yards. Andy Glennon kept the Galway defense on their toes and nailed another point on 43 minutes and repeated the feat on 47 minutes to widen the gap to 14 points.
Ó’Curraoin kept the Galway scoreboard ticking over with his sixth score of the night. This was hastly washed away with scores from Jack Duggan, Ruane and substitute Senan Lambe. Céin D’Arcy powered through the Roscommon middle third to tag over a score for Galway which was followed up by Lennon who now set Roscommon towards the finish line
Enda Smith missed a golden chance on 60 minutes as his attempted goal effort was blocked down and the rebound was miscued by Lennon. Ó’Curraoin sailed over a score and the Roscommon response was emphatic with Donie Smith tapping over a free before, the second major of the night was palmed home by Enda Smith who made up from his spurned chance earlier for his score of the game.
Ó’Curraoin landed his sides two last gambits on 68 and 70 minutes with two frees which seen the Mícheál Breathnach clubman end his outstanding nights work with 10 points to his name. Daire Cregg hit the last score of the night to leave the final score of Roscommon 2-24 to Galway’s 0-13.
Both sides will now turn their attention quickly to next weekend. Roscommon travel to Omagh to face Tyrone while Galway, host old rivals Mayo in Pearse Stadium next Sunday.
Lineups
Galway: Oran Burke ;Liam Boyle, Billy Mannion, Darragh Varley; Cian Monaghan, Jack Kirrane, Daniel O’Flaherty; Ciarán Brady, Céin D’Arcy (0-1); Ryan Monaghan, Antaine Ó Laoi (0-1, 0-1f), Jack O’Neill; Liam Costello (0-1), Charlie Power, Cillian Ó Curraoin (0-10, 0-7f, 0-1,45).
Subs: Rory Cunningham for O’Neill, Diarmuid Kilcommins for O’Flaherty, Gerard Davoren for Ó Laoi, Donal Hunt for C Monaghan, Shane McGrath for Costello, Mark Colleran for Power, Conor Rafferty for Brady.
Roscommon: Conor Carroll; Caelim Keogh, Luke Glennon, Patrick Gavin; Niall Higgins (0-1), Evan Flynn, Eoin McCormack (1-0); Keith Doyle, Dylan Ruane (0-3, 0-1m); Cian Connolly (0-1), Diarmuid Murtagh (0-1), 0-1f), Ciaran Lennon (0-2); Conor Cox (0-2, 0-1f), Cathal Heneghan (0-3), Adam McDermott (0-2).
Subs: Enda Smith (1-0) for Murtagh, Andrew Glennon (0-2) for Cox, Donie Smith (0-3, 0-2fs) for Connolly, Niall Daly for McCormack, Declan Kenny for Keogh, Colm Lavin for Carroll, David Murray for L Glennon, Jack Duggan (0-1) for McDermott, Senan Lambe (0-1) for Heneghan, Colin Walsh for Flynn, Daire Cregg (0-2, 0-1f) for Doyle.
Referee: Michael McGirl (Leitrim).
