John MacMonagle captained Mayo to Dalata Hotel Group Connacht U20 glory at Tuam Stadium. Photo by Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
Dalata Hotels Connacht U-20 Football Championship
Mayo 2-17 (2-0-17) Roscommon 4-8 (4-1-6)
By Kevin Egan at Tuam Stadium
A championship that has produced any number of wonderful and memorable encounters in recent years came up trumps again in Tuam Stadium, where Mayo looked the stronger side than Roscommon, but still needed to step up to dominate the last 10 minutes, claiming their first Dalata Hotels Connacht U20 football championship title in seven years.
A frantic finish, which also saw Roscommon put the ball in the Mayo net for the fifth time only for Rúairí Kilcline’s palmed effort to be ruled out for a square ball infringement, looked like a pipe dream in the opening 20 minutes when Mayo were utterly dominant in every phase of play, responding to John Curran’s opening score with a run of 1-7 without reply.
Midfielder Seamus Howard burst through the middle to collect a layoff and calmly place the ball under Patrick Gaynor, but in Darragh Beirne and Tom Lydon Mayo had a dangerous tandem in the corners, while at the other end of the field, Paul Gilmore, John McMonagle and Eoin McGreal were on top of their respective battles.
Then McGreal was forced off with an injury, Rory Carthy hoisted over a 45 metre free, and the next kickout was smashed back towards the Mayo goal, allowing Curran to float a pass across to Carthy for a goal.
That was the spark that set the contest well and truly alight.
John McGuinness darted through to score two excellent goals before half-time, either side of another Mayo goal from Beirne, assisted by a pinpoint Cathal Keaveney pass. 2-9 to 3-4 at half-time seemed to flatter Roscommon considering the supremacy that Mayo enjoyed for most of the half, but in the second half Cian Smith’s side proved that they were well worth their place in this decider.
They never looked like scoring at a great rate but Eoin Collins, Eoghan Carthy, David Higgins and Niall Heneghan all came up with some big possessions at midfield, and the contest moved along nicely with the sides trading scores. Early in the final quarter Colm McHale scored a point that looked like it might give Mayo a little bit of cushion, but only until Robert Heneghan tied the sides up with a fisted goal in the 52nd minute.
With the game on the line, Mayo showed that little bit more composure to secure their progression. Roscommon had possessions close to goal but Gilmore and Hugh O’Loughlin came up with huge turnovers when needed, and it fell to O’Loughlin, Dara Neary, McHale and Beirne to kick the scores that confirmed Mayo’s first title since their comprehensive win over the same opposition in 2018.
Scorers for Mayo: Darragh Beirne 1-3 (1f), Tom Lydon 0-5 (2fs), Colm McHale 0-3, Seamus Howard 1-0, Niall Hurley 0-2, Hugh O’Loughlin 0-2, Oisín Cronin 0-1, Dara Neary 0-1.
Scorers for Roscommon: John McGuinness 2-0, Rory Carthy 1-4 (1 tpf, (2fs), Robert Heneghan 1-0, Brian Greene 0-2 (1m), John Curran 0-1, Conor Grogan 0-1.
Mayo: Conor Meaney; Rio Mortimer, Paul Gilmore, Eoin McGreal; Colm Lynch, John McMonagle, Colm McHale; Oliver Armstrong, Seamus Howard; Oisín Cronin, Cathal Keaveney, Hugh O’Loughlin; Darragh Beirne, Niall Hurley, Tom Lydon.
Subs: Yousif Coghill for McGreal (19), Dara Neary for Cronin (42), Diarmuid Duffy for Lynch (44), Luke Feeney for Armstrong (52), Daithí Butler for Gilmore (60+2).
Roscommon: Patrick Gaynor; Cillian Campbell, Tommy Morris, Keelan Kelly; Conor Grogan, Eoghan Carthy, Conor Kelly; Niall Heneghan, David Higgins; Eoin Collins, Robert Heneghan, John McGuinness; Rory Carthy, John Curran, Ryan Dowling.
Subs: Brian Greene for Kelly (22), Cathal McKeon for Dowling (47), Ciarán O’Reilly for Higgins (52), Rúairí Kilcline for R Heneghan (55).
Referee: Thomas Murphy (Galway).
