Daniel O'Mahony, Cork, and Diarmuid Murtagh, Roscommon, in All-Ireland SFC action. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile
All-Ireland SFC Group Two
Cork 0-19 (0-1-17) Roscommon 0-17 (0-0-17)
By Kevin Egan at Laois Hire O'Moore Park
Cork will be in Monday morning’s All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final draw while Roscommon’s season came to a close this afternoon in Laois Hire O’Moore Park, with Daniel O'Mahony's diving block on Diarmuid Murtagh the final act in a tense and tight battle.
Brian O’Driscoll raised the only orange flag in the game when he split the posts in the sixth minute to cancel out early points for Donie Smith and Daire Cregg.
Roscommon had their chances to cancel out that score from the Carrigaline wing-back, and will now have plenty of time to reflect on their failure to hit the target with any of their efforts from outside the arc in the closing stages.
Those late misses, including wides for both Murtagh brothers and another high ball that Micheál Aodh Martin pushed out around his post for safety, will no doubt haunt Roscommon in the coming weeks but over the course of the full 70 minutes, Cork left as much, if not more on the table.
After a competitive opening 22 minutes with Roscommon 0-6 to 0-5 in front when Enda Smith broke through two tackles and split the posts, Cork completely took over and could arguably have led by more than 0-10 to 0-6 at the interval.
Time and again Ian Maguire and Colm O’Callaghan soared up to smash the ball back towards the Roscommon goal, and in Seán McDonnell, Cork had a lively attacker who was picking up excellent positions and finishing off scores.
Maguire also put his name on two points, but the big midfielder will feel that he could have hit the net with either or both, and when Roscommon kicked off the second half with points from Dylan Ruane and Cregg, it looked like Cork might pay for their failure to capitalise on their first half possession.
As well as their power however, Cork also seemed to have an edge when it came to pace and movement. The breeze was slight, but what was in it favoured Roscommon in the second half and forced Cork to get within 30 metres of the opposition goal in order to create a high-percentage shooting chance.
They were able to do that through quick and clever interplay, wearing down the legs of a tiring Roscommon side to set up time and space for O’Callaghan, McDonnell and Mark Cronin to kick the points that made it 0-17 to 0-11 going into the final quarter.
Then Roscommon went to the bench and introduced pace in the shape of Cian McKeon, Colm Neary and Conor Hand, and with Brian Stack pushing up to give a little bit more help to the midfield battle, the Rossies were a completely different team.
McKeon, Diarmuid Murtagh and Cregg kicked the points to bring it to a one-point game, and the chances were there to push on. The St. Brigid’s trio of Shane Cunnane, Stack and Eddie Nolan came up with big kickout wins to set up attacks, but none of them yielded the score they needed.
When Cathail O’Mahony drove through the middle of the Roscommon defence to double the advantage, only a score from distance would do – and that proved elusive.
Scorers for Cork: Mark Cronin 0-5 (2fs), Seán McDonnell 0-4, Brian O’Driscoll 0-2 (tp), Ian Maguire 0-2, Colm O’Callaghan 0-2, Brian Hurley 0-1, Eoghan McSweeney 0-1, Paul Walsh 0-1, Cathail O’Mahony 0-1.
Scorers for Roscommon: Daire Cregg 0-5, Diarmuid Murtagh 0-2, Cian McKeon 0-2, Donie Smith 0-1, Ciaráin Murtagh 0-1, Senan Lambe 0-1, Enda Smith 0-1, Dylan Ruane 0-1, Ben O’Carroll 0-1, Eddie Nolan 0-1, Conor Carroll 0-1 (45).
Cork: Micheál Aodh Martin; Seán Meehan, Daniel O’Mahony, Seán Brady; Brian O’Driscoll, Maurice Shanley, Matty Taylor; Ian Maguire, Colm O’Callaghan; Paul Walsh, Seán Walsh, Seán McDonnell; Mark Cronin, Brian Hurley, Chris Óg Jones.
Subs: Rory Maguire for Meehan (half-time), Eoghan McSweeney for S Walsh (41), Seán Powter for P Walsh (55), Ruairí Deane for Taylor (58), Cathail O’Mahony for Jones (61).
Roscommon: Conor Carroll; Pearse Frost, Brian Stack, David Murray; Ronan Daly, Shane Cunnane, Senan Lambe; Eddie Nolan, Enda Smith; Dylan Ruane, Donie Smith, Daire Cregg; Ben O’Carroll, Diarmuid Murtagh, Ciaráin Murtagh.
Subs: Keith Doyle for Nolan (41-44, temp), Colm Neary for D Smith (49), Cian McKeon for Ruane (52), Conor Hand for Daly (54), Ciarán Lennon for O’Carroll (55), Declan Kenny for Lambe (65).
Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan).
