Round-up: Connacht MFC wins for Galway and Roscommon
The Roscommon minor footballers pictured before their Electric Ireland Connacht MFC victory over Sligo.
Electric Ireland Connacht MFC Round One
GALWAY 2-18 (2-1-16) LEITRIM 1-9 (1-1-7)
SLIGO 1-11 (1-2-7) ROSCOMMON 1-12 (1-1-10)
Two very different games were played in unseasonally warm sunshine in the Electric Ireland Connacht MFC tonight, with Roscommon just about holding on to pick up an away win at Kilcoyne Park in Tubbercurry, while Galway produced a balanced performance that saw nine different players get on the scoresheet in a comfortable win over Leitrim at Tuam Stadium.
It looked like it might be a similar story in South Sligo where despite the absence of any meaningful breeze, it was a real game of two halves.
Roscommon were utterly dominant in the first half, laying down a marker when an early goal effort from Rossa O’Dowd was turned into a point by a fine save from Sligo goalkeeper James Broderick.
After Oisín Gormley replied, Roscommon hit 1-7 without reply, including two fine points from Jamie Carthy, the side’s only orange flag from Enda Browne, and a fortuitous goal from O’Dowd.
Two late Gormley frees gave Sligo a bit of momentum going into the second half but instead of easing their way into the game, the home side took over.
Aodhan Hannon, Seán Óg McDonagh, Ryan Healy and Danny Feeney all scored as Sligo took over at midfield, holding their opponents scoreless for 21 minutes.
Three points from Joshua Coyne seemed to see Roscommon home but in the last five minutes the hosts caught fire again, with two frees from outside the arc from Feeney and a reactive goal from Gormley.
One last Coyne free, awarded for a breach, proved to be the difference between the sides ultimately.
Leitrim also finished the game well in Tuam Stadium but they had left themselves far too much to do after only getting off the mark late in the first half, by which time Galway had 1-10 on the board.
Adam Healy opened the scoring off his left after three minutes and it was a measure of how comfortable every Galway player seemed to be on the ball that full back Eoin Gannon was abled to send the ball sailing over the black spot from 30 metres out after he stayed forward at the end of a foray up the pitch.
Galway really took a firm grip on proceedings when Eanna Maher’s searching delivery was won and squared by Mikey Mitchell, leaving Aaron Hanrahan with a simple palmed finish for a goal.
Leitrim hit three points in quick succession before half-time on the back of Senan Kelly getting them up and running, but a second Galway goal, slammed to the net by Mitchell after his initial flick was cleared off the line, established a double figure half-time lead.
Galway kept the scores coming in the second half as Oisín Ó Neachtain and Darragh Kelly impressed in the middle to keep Galway on the front foot. Shane Heneghan landed three off the bench while Ó Neachtain hit the Tribesmen’s only two-pointer off the crossbar, but Leitrim salvaged some pride late on with Hugh McGovern’s composed finish for their goal, and a Seán Keaney two-point free.