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Mayo and Roscommon through to EirGrid Connacht U-20 Football Final

Cian McKeon

Cian McKeon

EirGrid Connacht U-20 Football Championship semi-final

ROSCOMMON 1-11 GALWAY 0-11

By Daragh Small

Dylan Ruane’s goal swung the game in Roscommon’s favour as they booked their place in a Connacht U-20 final for the first time, and got the better of Galway in an epic encounter at Tuam Stadium.

Finian O’Laoi was sent-off on a straight red card in the first half but Galway held their composure and were level 0-5 to 0-5 at half-time.

Ruane scored his goal early in the second half. Roscommon had Liam Cregg sent-off but Rob Finnerty also saw red for Galway as the visitors held on.

Gerry Fahy’s side began well and Finnerty scored a lovely point off his left foot after just 11 seconds. But that was cancelled out by Roscommon’s Cian McKeon in the second minute.

Dessie Conneely put Galway back in front but O’Laoi was sent-off in the seventh minute. He was involved in an off-the-ball incident with Lorcan Daly, which left the Roscommon corner back strewn on the ground.

Roscommon should have kicked on from there but the hosts extended their lead and points from Conneely and Finnerty gave them a 0-4 to 0-1 advantage after 11 minutes.

Galway wouldn’t score again until Conneely did in the 34th minute. Roscommon’s Conor Shanagher left in an ambulance after he accidentally collided with his teammate Keith Murphy after a quarter of an hour.

Aaron Brady (free), Paul Carey, and McKeon scored to tie the game up by the 33rd minute. But there were eight minutes added and Conneely pushed Galway back in front. There was still time for substitute Damien Duff to draw the sides level at half-time.

Ruane struck for his goal eight minutes after the interval. He raced in down the left wing and when there was support available he blasted his shot into Oran Burke’s top right corner.

Finnerty and Darragh Silke offered the resistance but McKeon scored three frees and another huge point from a free by Brady gave Roscommon a 1-9 to 0-7 lead in the 44th minute.

David McManus got a black card in the 51st minute, Lorcan Daly followed him three minutes later as Galway pushed for a comeback.

But after Daly and Finnerty got red, McKeon’s 56th minute point was enough to force a win for Roscommon.

Meanwhile, Mayo booked their place in the final with a 1-24 to 1-3 win over Leitrim at MacHale Park in Castlebar.

Ross Egan scored 0-12, half of them from frees, as Mayo pulled away from a 1-12 to 0-1 interval lead to ease to victory against a Leitrim side who failed to score from play.

Scorers for Roscommon: Cian McKeon 0-7 (6f), Dylan Ruane 1-0, Aaron Brady 0-2 (2f), Paul Carey 0-1, Damien Duff 0-1

Scorers for Galway: Dessie Conneely 0-6 (6f), Rob Finnerty 0-3 (1f), Darragh Silke 0-1, Rory Cunningham 0-1 (1f).

**GALWAY: **Oran Burke; Sean Fitzgerald, Sean Mulkerrin, Conor Campbell; Jack Glynn, Ryan Forde, Colin Murray; Cein Darcy, John Daly; Darragh Silke, Lorcan Molloy, Finian O’Laoi; Rob Finnerty, Liam Costello, Dessie Conneely. **Subs: **Barry Goldrick for Molloy (34), Rory Cunningham for Silke (44), Jack Kirrane for Costello (48), Fionan Garvey for Murray (52), Maitias Bairead for Daly (60).

ROSCOMMON: Aaron Brady; Lorcan Daly, Evan Flynn, Liam Cregg; Aidan Dowd, Luke Mollahan, Darren Nerney; Conor Shanagher, Eddie Nolan; Keith Murphy, David McManus, Dylan Ruane; Brian Derwin, Cian McKeon, Paul Carey. Subs: Ciaran Lawless for Murphy (20, blood), Damien Duff for Shanagher (20), Murphy for Lawless (28), Ciaran Sugrue for Derwin (39), Gerry Galvin for Nerney (48), Michael Conroy for Sugrue (50), Cian Corcoran for McManus (52, black).

Ref: Eamonn O’Grady (Leitrim).