Connacht SFC: Roscommon show class against Mayo

CONNACHT SFC SEMI-FINAL

MAYO 1-18 (1-2-14) ROSCOMMON 2-25 (2-2-21)

Kevin Egan at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park

In the National League, Mayo and Roscommon were the two sides that showed the most progress, finishing next in the pecking order behind last year’s two All-Ireland finalists.

This afternoon in Castlebar, Roscommon proved that their renaissance under new manager Mark Dowd is the real thing, as they produced a mercurial second half display to leave Andy Moran and Mayo with huge questions to answer as they prepare to regroup before the All-Ireland series.

For 25 minutes, the Roscommon contingent among the crowd of 15,321 were in dreamland. They scored 1-17 in that period without hitting a wide ball, dominating all phases of play. It was perhaps apt that it was a turnover steal on Conor Loftus that kicked it all off, since Loftus had been the game’s key figure in the opening half, kicking two points and playing a big role in Ryan O’Donoghue’s goal.

By the end, it was easy to forget just how satisfied Mayo would have been when O’Donoghue showed left and finished with his right to make it 1-8 to 1-3. Kobe McDonald was dragged down to enable the Belmullet man to tap over a free immediately afterwards, and everything was following a Mayo script.

Defensively they were securing turnovers, particularly across the half-back line, and while Conor Carroll was doing his best to pick out yellow jerseys with his restarts, it wasn’t unusual for the receiving player to be penned back into his own half.

After an error-ridden opening five minutes in which four wides were shared and neither side raised a flag, Loftus and Paddy Durcan drove forward to get Mayo moving.

Within a blink of an eye it was 0-4 to no score, and although Diarmuid Murtagh had a great goal chance, his low shot crashed off the foot of the post.

Just when Roscommon were in trouble, Mayo let them off the hook. A poor kickout was seized by Rob Heneghan, he played in his cousin Darragh and a quick flick of the ball past Robert Hennelly left Murtagh with a sidefoot into an empty net.

Roscommon’s pace and direct running ability was a constant threat into the wind, but Mayo were getting more ball, creating more chances, and after they steadied the ship to lead by six, they looked to be in control, even allowing for the strength of the breeze blowing down towards the bacon factory end.

Then, after scoring 1-3 in the opening half hour, Roscommon racked up an incredible 0-22 in the next 30 minutes of play, scoring 20 times in all.

Dylan Ruane, Murtagh and Rob Heneghan fired over in quick succession before the break and while they were arguably the slightly better poised team at half-time, no-one expected the barrage that was to follow.

It came on all fronts. The kickout, previously a scrappy contest, became Roscommon’s fiefdom. Space opened up for the Heneghans, Enda Smith, Colm Neary and Ruane to show their pace, and Murtagh was flawless with his kicking. Six points were fired over in the first five minutes of the second half, and in a Mayo forward line laden with experience, it felt like it was Kobe McDonald who was taking responsibility and leading the fightback every time. The Crossmolina prodigy registered some wonderful scores and always looked to make things happen, but there were fires all over the pitch, and he couldn’t put them all out.

His sublime two-point free into the wind gave Mayo the faintest flicker of hope, and on the next attack, Roscommon extinguished it. Enda Smith and Conor Hand combined to win the kickout and set up Darragh Heneghan, and on a day when Roscommon’s pace and killer instinct was their trump card, their fastest player drove straight at goal, shot low and sent the crowd into raptures.

SCORERS FOR MAYO: Ryan O’Donoghue 1-4 (1tpf, 0-2f), Kobe McDonald 0-6 (1ptf), Conor Loftus 0-2, Paddy Durcan 0-2, Jordan Flynn 0-1, Paddy Durcan 0-1, Jack Carney 0-1, Matthew Ruane 0-1.

SCORERS FOR ROSCOMMON: Diarmuid Murtagh 1-10 (0-2f, 1tp, 1tpf), Darragh Heneghan 1-3, Enda Smith 0-3, Dylan Ruane 0-3, Keith Doyle 0-2, Robert Heneghan 0-1, Colm Neary 0-1, Conor Hand 0-1, Paul Carey 0-1f.

MAYO: Robert Hennelly; Enda Hession, Rory Brickenden, Jack Coyne; Sam Callinan, David McBrien, Paddy Durcan; Bob Tuohy, Conor Loftus; Jack Carney, Ryan O'Donoghue, Jordan Flynn; Cian McHale, Aidan O'Shea, Kobe McDonald.

Subs: Tommy Conroy for McHale (half-time), Donnacha McHugh for Brickenden (41), Matthew Ruane for Tuohy (44), Fergal Boland for O’Shea (44), Cillian O’Connor for Loftus (55)

ROSCOMMON: Conor Carroll; Caelim Koegh, Eoin McCormack, Patrick Gavin; Ronan Daly, Eoin Ward, Senan Lambe; Keith Doyle, Conor Ryan; Dylan Ruane, Enda Smith, Colm Neary; Diarmuid Murtagh, Robert Heneghan, Darragh Heneghan.

Subs: Paul Carey for Keogh (49), Conor Hand for R Heneghan (52), Robbie Dolan for Lambe (58), Shane Cunnane for Ryan (60), Niall Higgins for D Heneghan (68)

REFEREE: David Coldrick (Meath).