Connacht FBD League Final: Galway 2-8 Roscommon 0-13
 
By John Fallon
 
Galway captured their first FBD League Connacht title since 2009 when they held off a good fightback from champions Roscommon in an entertaining final at Tuam Stadium.
 
Roscommon, bidding for their fourth title in the grade, were rocked when Galway struck for two fisted goals in the opening five minutes from Damien Comer.
 
The first of them came after just 13 seconds when Comer connected with a long free from Fiontáin Ó Curraoin.
And then he repeated the feat, this time fisting an effort from Eamon Brannigan to the net after Galway’s Johnny Heaney and Roscommon's Senan Kilbride had swapped points.
 
But Roscommon, who hit Galway for four second-half goals to win the title last year, recovered well and they got the gap back to a goal after 19 minutes with the likes of Kieran Kilcline, Ciaráin Murtagh and Scott Oates shooting some good efforts.
 
Adrian Varley responded with a couple of good points, while his goalkeeper Thomas Dolan did well to deprive Cathal McHugh just before the break.
 
That left the Tribesmen 2-5 to 0-6 in front at the interval despite playing against the wind.
 
Roscommon also started well into the elements and held Galway scoreless for 19 minutes after the restart.
 
Cian Connolly pointed a free and then hit an effort from play before two pointed frees from Ciaráin Murtagh cut the gap to just a point after 46 minutes.
 
Varley ended Galway’s scoring drought with his third point eleven minutes from time but further frees from Connolly and Murtagh tied the match with seven minutes left.
 
Roscommon were unable to get ahead and it was Galway who hit the front again when wing-back Heaney went forward to get his second point before Shane Walsh doubled the lead with a free.
 
Roscommon captain Niall Daly reduced the margin with a fine effort but they were unable to conjure an equaliser despite plenty of chances to level the game in the closing stages as both sides enjoyed a good workout before the start of the league next weekend. 

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**Scorers for Galway: **D Comer 2-1; A Varley 0-3; J Heaney 0-2; S Walsh 0-1 (0-1f), T Flynn 0-1.
 
**Scorers for Roscommon: **C Murtagh 0-4 (0-4f), C Connolly 0-4 (0-2f); S Kilbride 0-2; K Kilcline 0-1, S Oates 0-1, N Daly 0-1.
 
Galway: T Dolan; D Wynne, D Kyne, E Kerin; L Silke, G O’Donnell, J Heaney; P Conroy, F O Curraoin; T Flynn, E Hoare, E Tierney; D Comer, A Varley, E Brannigan. Subs: S Walsh for Hoare (48), P Mannion for Brannigan (59)
 
**Roscommon: **G Claffey; R Stack, T Featherston, N Collins; B Murtagh, N Daly, R Daly; E Smith, C Shine; S Oates, K Kilcline, C Murtagh; C Connolly, S Kilbride, C McHugh. Subs: S McDermott for Collins (h-t), N Kilroy for Kilcline (39), U Harney for Oates (43), F Kelly for Shine (46), Fintan Creff for Murtagh (54).
 
**Referee: **Declan Corcoran (Mayo).