D1: Three wins in a row for rampant Roscommon
Cathal Cregg battling against Down
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION I: ROSCOMMON 1-12 DOWN 0-6
By Ciaran McGreal
Ciaráin Murtagh was the star as he grabbed 1-6 to secure Roscommon's third league win of the campaign as they defeated Down in Pearse Park in Longford on Sunday.
Roscommon led by five points at half time and they never looked like relinquishing the lead with a commanding second half display.
Down made a bright start with a point apiece from Darragh O'Hanlon and Connaire Harrison (free) to lead inside the first seven minutes.
Roscommon hit back with Ciaráin Murtagh to the fore. The captain scored two from play and two frees in ten minutes before his half-forward colleague Fintan Cregg got two of his own to put Roscommon 0-6 to 0-2 to the good with 22 minutes played.
Michael Cunningham came to the rescue for Down as he made a good save to prevent Cathal Devaney from netting a goal for Roscommon in the 23rd minute. Conor Daly kicked the Connacht side's seventh point of the game to give them a five point lead but Harrison and Mark Poland got two quickfire scores before half time to keep them in the hunt.
Roscommon re-established their five point lead with Cregg and Murtagh continuing their accurate display of shooting to put them 0-9 to 0-4 up after 40 minutes. Harrison rattled the crossbar shortly after as he got a fist to a high ball but Down opened their second half account in the 47th minute as Barry O'Hagan split the posts.
Murtagh got his sixth score from a free to make it double scores with less than twenty minutes to go. A further two points for the Connacht side from Cathal Cregg and Daly in the space of a minute gave them a seven point lead.
Murtagh put the match beyond doubt as he slotted a late penalty past substitute goalkeeper Stephen Kane to clinch a nine point win.
**Scorers for Roscommon: **C Murtagh 1-6 (1-0 pen, 4f), F Cregg 0-3 (1f), C Daly 0-2, C Cregg 0-1.
Scorers for Down: C Harrison 0-2 (1f), D O'Hanlon 0-1, M Poland 0-1, B O'Hagan 0-1, P Devlin 0-1.
ROSCOMMON: G Claffey; S McDermott, N Collins, N McInerney; C Daly, S Purcell, D Murray; E Smith, I Kilbride; F Cregg, C Murtagh, C Devaney; C Connolly, S Kilbride, C Cregg. Subs: R Stack for Smith (half-time), N Kilroy for S Kilbride (54, black card), R daly for C Cregg (59), C McHugh for Connolly (65), C Shine for I Kilbride (68), J McManus for McInerney (70).
DOWN: M Cunningham; R Boyle, G McGovern, G Collins; J Flynn, A Carr, D O'Hanlon; P Turley, M McKay; C Maginn, M Poland, R Mallon; C McGovern, C Harrison, B O'Hagan. Subs: D O’Hare for Harrison (52), N Madine for O’Hagan (57), P Devlin for Poland (57), D McKibbon for Flynn (65), C Doyle for Maginn (68), S Kane for Cunningham (6, bc).
