Roscommon through to Dalata Hotel Group Connacht U20 Football Final
Dalata Hotel Group Connacht U-20 Football Championship Semi-Final
Roscommon 4-12 Sligo 1-18
By Ian Cooney at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence, Bekan
Roscommon remain on course to retain their Connacht U-20 football crown after edging out Sligo in a humdinger at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence on Wednesday evening.
Goals were crucial for Cian Smith’s side, and the green flags raised by Rory Carthy, Eoin Collins, John McGuinness and Conor Grogan set up a provincial final meeting against Mayo in Tuam next Wednesday evening.
The game was a credit to both sets of players who emptied their respective tanks and provided spectators with a compelling spectacle.
Sligo started like an express train, with Ronan Niland’s two-point free setting the tone inside a minute.
The Yeats County continued to dominate and points from Eli Rooney and Gavin Lynch stretched their lead before an excellent two-pointer from play by Eamon O’Mahony made it dream start for Paul Henry’s side.
Out of nowhere, however, Roscommon grabbed a lifeline with two goals inside a minute.
Rory Carthy, after good work by John Curran, grabbed the first before Sligo failed to clear the lines, allowing Eoin Collins lob Sligo goalkeeper, Donnchadh O’Brien, into an empty net.
But Sligo’s feathers weren’t ruffled as Connor Flynn, midfielder Michael Sheridan and Niland (free) added to their side’s tally.
But another mini scoring burst from the Rossies, which yielded an answered 1-3, gave them a cushion they wouldn’t relinquish.
Eoghan Carthy and his brother Rory (free) got the ball rolling before John McGuinness pounced for an excellent individual goal in the 23rd minute — his side’s third of the half.
Rory Carthy and Gavin Lynch swapped points as Roscommon held a 3-3 to 0-11 advantage at the interval.
The winners hit the first four scores of the second half through Rory Carthy (free), substitute Robert Heneghan, Eoin Collins and John McGuinness.
But when a Niland free was followed by a Sligo goal from Dara Mostyn goal after a goalmouth scramble in the 40th minute, a pulsating game was back in the melting pot once more.
From there to the finish, Roscommon found scores easier to come by, and left a few more behind them as they finished with 11 wides.
John Curran and Niland (free) exchanged points before Curran’s second point of the evening was complimented by a goal from wing-back Conor Grogan to leave Roscommon 4-9 to 1-13 ahead with 13 minutes remaining.
A couple of two-point frees from Niland and Rooney kept the Yeats County in touch but points from substitute Brian Greene and a double from Rory Carthy to take his personal tally to 1-5 confirmed Roscommon’s place in the decider.
Scorers for Roscommon: Rory Carthy 1-5 (3f), Eoin Collins 1-1, John McGuinness 1-1, Conor Grogan 1-0, John Curran 0-2, Eoghan Carthy 0-1, Robert Heneghan 0-1, Brian Greene 0-1.
Scorers for Sligo: Ronan Niland 0-7 (2tpf, 3f), Eli Rooney 0-4 (1tpf, 1f), Dara Mostyn 1-0, Gavin Lynch 0-2, Eamon O’Mahony 0-2 (1tp), Connor Flynn 0-1, Michael Sheridan 0-1, Dillon Walsh 0-1
Roscommon: Patrick Gaynor; Keelan Kelly, Tommy Morris, Cillian Campbell; Conor Grogan, Eoghan Carthy, Conor Kelly; Niall Heneghan, David Higgins; Eoin Collins, Ryan Dowling, John McGuinness; John Curran, Rory Carthy, Ruairí Kilcline. Subs: Robert Heneghan for Kilcline 20, Brian Greene for Dowling 45, Daniel Hagney for Collins 54, Cathal McKeon for Higgins 56
Sligo: Donnchadh O’Brien; Oisín Conlon, Oran Harte, Rian O’Callaghan; Dillon Walsh, Tommy Ross, Robert O’Kelly-Lynch; Dara Mostyn, Michael Sheridan; Eamon O’Mahony, Ronan Niland, Daire Callaghan; Connor Flynn, Eli Rooney, Gavin Lynch
Subs: Matthew Walsh for Callaghan 45, Michael Carroll for Lynch 52.
Referee: Chris Ryan (Galway).