Roscommon 2-11 Mayo 1-16
Mayo were required to win this game three times, maybe more. They were just relieved to get there in the end.
Leading by 0-7 to 0-0 after 19 minutes, they were extremely comfortable and though Roscommon were always going to get moving, the advantage was out to eight points when Jack Carney slotted a calamitous goal from the home side’s point of view in the 49th minute.
But Mayo were rocked by two Roscommon goals coming down the stretch via Enda Smith and Conor Cox as their lead pared back to the minimum, though Matthew Ruane settled them with a point injury time.
Still, they could have lost it with Diarmuid O’Connor blocking a Ben O’Carroll goal effort at the death as a game that was dreary for the most part dramatically sprang to life in the last 20 minutes or so, as the 12,491 in Hyde Park belatedly found their voices.
“I felt we had it tidied up a few times but we gave Roscommon opportunities and they took them,” said Mayo boss Kevin McStay.
“Two great goals, I have to say and that rocked us a bit. I think we regained our composure and played it out in the end.
“Lots to take from the game. Wouldn’t be happy with some aspects of it but we played through it.
“I suppose if you are being clinical about it, we came up for two points as a National league fixture and we’re going home with them now. I have to study it but I suppose we’re safe now.”
On eight points, they certainly are as they top the table with two rounds of matches to go and a League final is a real possibility. It’s scheduled for April 2, a week before they play Roscommon again in the Connacht quarter-final.
This victory maintained Mayo’s unbeaten record at Hyde Park in League and Championship, dating back to the 2001 Connacht final. Indeed, in the League alone, Roscommon still haven’t beaten Mayo at any venue since 1988.
McStay was a Mayo footballer back then. Now as their manager, he was plotting against his former team. A resident of Roscommon town, he had his shortest commute of the year.
“It was a little funny, a little strange,” he admitted. “I’m very fond of a lot of lads in that dressing room. They gave Roscommon great service, they gave me great times.
“I had great times here and tough times. They’re a fine team. But I have to park that immediately because I’m in charge of the Mayo team and we have a game in two weeks. That’s where it goes now.”
His former charges were badly out of sorts early on as Mayo romped into that early lead with Roscommon notably lacking any bite to their play and even less penetration.
Tommy Conroy opened Mayo’s account in the first minute in what was his first start for the county since rupturing his cruciate ligament last year while Cillian O’Connor, another who was starting his first game of the year slotted four first half frees.
Diarmuid Murtagh finally got Roscommon on the scoreboard with a 21st minute free in what was just their third shot at the posts, the previous efforts having come from defender David Murray and midfielder Keith Doyle as the attack failed to gel.
Murtagh then slotted their first from play as Mayo endured an eight-minute scoring lull before James Carr pointed and though a steadily improving Roscommon added another two through Murtagh again (free) and Conor Daly, their provincial rivals retired with a commanding 0-9 to 0-4 lead with O’Connor’s last fee of the half.
O’Connor kicked a beauty from play to get Mayo up and running in the second half and they seemed out of sight when Colin Walsh’s lofty handpass was too much for Conor Daly to handle as Carney nipped in to finish with goalkeeper Colm Lavin stranded in the 49th minute.
The game seemed to be petering out to an inevitable conclusion until Daire Cregg and Diarmuid Murtagh combined to release Smith for a 55th minute to suddenly reduce the deficit to a mere three points.
Mayo appeared to have weathered that and ought to have another goal themselves only for a combination of the post and Lavin denying Conroy, and when Cox buried one in the other net in injury time they only had a point to spare.
But Mayo kicked on one last time and Roscommon couldn’t quite fashion a dramatic late winner.
Still, their manager Davy Burke took plenty from their resilience.
“The big thing for me last week in Monaghan was, Roscommon teams gone by would have been out of that game,” he said.
“We put the ball into the square, the last kick of the game, to draw the game last week – it didn’t happen and they won the game by three.
“Today as well we could have stolen the game. We were seven points to nil down, Roscommon teams of the past may have folded there; we didn’t. So there’s a difference.
“Resolve. Resilience. Donie Smith off the bench, Conor Cox was brilliant off the bench, Ciaráin Murtagh I thought changed the whole game, to be honest with you. Daire Cregg, Niall Kilroy getting back in there. That’s the positive for me.”
ROSCOMMON: Colm Lavin 6; Conor Hussey 6, Conor Daly (0-1) 6, Colin Walsh 6; David Murray 6, Brian Stack 7, Niall Daly 7; Tadhg O’Rourke (0-1) 7, Keith Doyle 6; Ciaran Lennon 5, Richard Hughes 6, Robbie Dolan 5; Ben O’Carroll 6, Enda Smith (1-1) 7, Diarmuid Murtagh (0-4, 0-3f) 7.
Subs: Ciarain Murtagh (0-2, 0-1f) for Dolan (23), Daire Cregg (0-1) for Lennon (HT), Niall Kilroy for Doyle (50), Conor Cox (1-1, 0-1f) for Murtagh (62).
MAYO: Rory Byrne (0-1 ‘45’) 7; Sam Callinan 7, David McBrien 6, Jack Coyne 7; Paddy Durcan 7, Conor Loftus 6, Stephen Coen 6; Matthew Ruane (0-1) 7, Diarmuid O’Connor 7; Fionn McDonagh (0-1) 6, Jack Carney (1-1) 8, Jordan Flynn 6; Cillian O’Connor (0-7, 0-6f) 8, James Carr (0-3) 7, Tommy Conroy (0-1) 6.
Subs: Bob Tuohy (0-1) for McDonagh (49), Aidan O’Shea for Flynn (55), Ryan O’Donoghue for Cillian O’Connor (62), Conor McStay for Carr (68), Jason Doherty for Conroy (68).
REFEREE: Brendan Cawley (Kildare).
QUOTE ME ON THAT
“I think it’s very relevant in that tactically they’re a long way ahead of us to be honest with you. Clearly they’ve a lot more work done than us.”
Roscommon manager Davy Burke on relevance of this game versus upcoming Championship encounter.
STAR MAN - Jack Carney (Mayo)
Got the goal which put Mayo too far out of Roscommon’s reach, even if it was an easy finish, but there was plenty more to Carney’s performance too.
AN OTHER - Cillian O’Connor (Mayo)
His first start of the year at the setting in which he first made his name in the 2011 Connacht final, he was central to Mayo building an early lead.
UP NEXT
ROSCOMMON: Kerry (a), March 18
MAYO: Donegal (a), March 19
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