Round-up: Electric Ireland Connacht MFC action
A general view of King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park. Photo by Paul Phelan/Sportsfile
Electric Ireland Connacht MFC
Roscommon 0-14 Galway 1-6
Mayo 1-17 Leitrim 2-11
Reigning Electric Ireland Connacht MFC champions Roscommon gave their bid to retain the Tom Kilcoyne Cup a huge shot in the arm at King & Moffatt Dr. Hyde Park, where they produced a second half performance that was a masterclass in controlled football in the face of a strong breeze.
Two nights ago Sligo had built up an 11-point advantage with the wind at the same venue only to lose by 10, and the Rossies had a similarly strong advantage in the opening half of this game.
Led by captain and full back Tadhg Fallon with Enda Browne hugely impressive in the half-back line, Roscommon marshalled the Galway attack very well while Jayden Jennings and Bobby Lenehan helped establish a strong supply of possession, but Galway held their own at the other end.
Two two-pointers from Seamie Carthy and Joshua Coyne helped make it 0-8 to 0-2 at half-time, both Galway scores coming from the very impressive Ryan Connolly at wing-back, but given the strength of the breeze and the quality of the Galway attack, the Tribesmen were in pole position in the race to go to the top of the table with two wins from two.
Instead, Roscommon monopolised possession and left Galway chasing shadows, working the ball methodically and patiently into good scoring positions where Cathal Nerney and Bobby Lenehan kicked points to put them completely in control.
Shane Heneghan added a spark of life to the Galway attack after his introduction and it was his run and shot that enabled Mikey Mitchell to nab a late rebound goal, with Oisín Ó Neachtain on the mark with a two-pointer immediately afterwards to help reduce the gap and give Galway some comfort at the end of a disappointing evening.
For the second week in a row, Leitrim took on one of the leading provincial powers and competed well, but couldn’t quite get close enough and so Mayo picked up the victory in Carrick-on-Shannon.
With no significant wind advantage at Páirc Séan Mac Diarmada, it was Mayo’s sensational start that put them in the driving seat. Evan Heneghan’s explosive finish to the top corner followed a Conor Hoban free from outside the arc and by the ten minute mark there was 10 points between the sides with Mayo 1-7 to no score in front.
Matthew Speers and Seán Keeney notched some fine points from Leitrim and when Keeney threaded a low shot through a crowd and into the bottom corner of the Mayo net at the start of the second half, it was very much game on.
Mayo responded with their best spell of the game, carving out openings. Heneghan kicked some fine points of his own and also turned provider for others, with Tadhg Kearney surging forward from corner back to kick a clincher late in the game.
A stoppage time goal from Speers, slammed to the roof of the net, gave Leitrim one last chance but they couldn’t engineer another goal chance and so were still three adrift at the final whistle.
