SportsPeople Revitalised hurlers back on track!

Promotion possible as Armagh brushed aside

Allianz National Hurling League Division 3A (Round 4)

Roscommon 2-20

Armagh 0-6

< SEAMUS DUKE

The doom and gloom that surrounded the Roscommon senior hurling team only a few weeks ago has been quickly replaced by positivity and anticipation after this resounding win against Armagh at Dr. Hyde Park last Sunday.

A win in their final game against Monaghan this coming Saturday will put the county’s hurlers in with an excellent chance of a league final place and promotion.

The arrival of Seamus Qualter as manager after Francis O’Halloran’s departure has brought a new energy to the team and on Sunday they produced their best performance in the last few years.

Stat Attack

Roscommon were helped by the straight red card shown to Armagh corner back Barry Short in the 12th minute after he clashed with Naos Connaughton, who returned to the action after lengthy treatment. However, even at that stage Roscommon were 0-5 to 0-2 ahead.

Eoin Fitzgerald, Conor Mulry, Connaughton, Mark Ward, Cormac Mulry and Eamon Flanagan were outstanding as Roscommon swept forward. Flanagan scored three super points as Roscommon took over completely after the sending off and Naos Connaughton produced a brilliant performance on his return to the team as a very effective target man.

The home side led 0-14 to 0-3 at half-time and they pulled away even more inside the first minute of the second half when Connaughton pulled first time to the net. The rout was complete in the 64th min-

Wides: Roscommon 13 (8 first half)

Armagh 11 (5 first half)

Red cards: Roscommon 0

Armagh 1 (Barry Short 12)

Black cards: None

Yellow cards: Roscommon 3 (Thomas Fleming, Mickey Joe Egan, Brendan Mulry)

Armagh 1 (Shay Harvey)

Man of the Match: Naos Connaughton (Roscommon) ute when Cormac Mulry scored the second Roscommon goal. It was a clinical display, and now a win against Monaghan opens the door to promotion for the team. It has been some turnaround.

Manager Seamus Qualter was a happy man when he spoke to the media at the full-time whistle.

“Look, It’s competitive now going into the last game against Monaghan and that’s all I wanted out of today. We got to look at 20 players and two weeks ago I didn’t know 14 of them. I know them now, and I can tell you that they are training hard. There are serious lads here in this panel. People are kind of writing us off and that is going in our favour,” he said.

“We have Monaghan on Saturday and so we get on the bus and go again. But today to stand here on the line in Hyde Park was a very proud moment for me because I did this (job) ten years ago. It was great to put on the (manager’s) bib today long after I thought I was finished”.

Finally, Seamus says that to be called back into intercounty management was a shock to the system.

“After the game against Fermanagh the players were disappointed and I called them together and told them that a week earlier I was sitting at home with a remote control in my hand and wondering what time I would go for a drink at!

“That’s how quick things change. So we have to all get on with it. I worked with all these people before - players and backroomand there are great hurling people in Roscommon and it’s great to be able to work with them again,” he concluded.

Roscommon: Enda Lawless: Thomas Fleming, Mark Ward, Darragh Mullen; Darragh Finn, Conor Cosgrove, Eamon Flanagan (0-3, 1 free); Mickey Joe Egan, Eoin Fitzgerald (0-2); Paddy Fallon (0-5, frees), Naos Connaughton (1-2), Conor Mulry (1-4); Eoin Kiernan (0-1), Adam Donnelly (0-1), Brendan Mulry.

Subs: Joe Brennan for Fitzgerald (33), Jack Dowling (0-1) for Egan (37), Gearoid Egan for B Mulry (50), Diarmuid Mulry (0-1) for Fallon (49), James Dillon for Cosgrove (68).

Armagh: Fintan Woods: Barry Short, Odhran Curry, Oisin O’Hare; Niall Lennon, Tiarnan Nevin, Stefan McPartland; Peader McBride, Fiontain Donnelly (0-1, free); Sean Og McGuinness, Cormac Jennings (0-4, 3 frees), Conor Renaghan; Danny Magee (0-1), Tam McKavanagh, Shea Harvey.

Subs: Paudie Lavin for Lennon (h/t), Nathan Curry for McBride (h/t), Odrhan McCann for McKavanagh (48), Tiarnan O’Hare for McGuinness (52), Kane Laverty for Harvey (66).

Referee: Conor Doyle (Tipperary)