Heartbreak for minors

AST-GASP LYDON SETTLES CASTLEBAR THRILLER

Electric Ireland Connacht MFC semi-final Mayo 2-13 Roscommon 2-12 < SEAMUS DUKE

A point deep into injury-time from Tom Lydon ensured that Mayo edged out Roscommon in a pulsating Connacht minor football semi-final played at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park last Friday night.

It was a heartbreaking defeat for a Roscommon team who were superb on the night and who deserved to get something out of the tie, not least extra-time. This performance was some turnaround from James Duignan’s team who had been beaten by 12 points by the same opposition just six weeks earlier. They fought like tigers all through and were decidedly unlucky not to pull off one of the shocks of the year.

Mayo started better – they led by 0-4 to 0-1 after nine minutes – but once Roscommon got into the game with points from Ruairí Kilcline and Eoghan Carthy by the 11th minute, a tight and evenly contested encounter developed.

In the 19th minute, a long ball from Sean McDonnell broke for Ruairí Kilcline and the big full-forward blasted home a well-taken goal which helped Roscommon into a 1-5 to 0-7 half-time lead.

With Sean McDonnell, Ryan Hanley, Eoghan Carthy, Ruairí Kilcline and Ruadhán Henry outstanding, Roscommon maintained their lead into the opening 10 minutes of the second half. Then the game appeared to turn decisively in favour of the home side, with Mayo striking for two goals within five minutes.

Darragh Beirne fisted home in the 41st minute and in the 46th minute Josh Carey was on target after Roscommon had forfeited possession. Mayo led by five (2-9 to 1-7).

Roscommon never dropped their heads. Points from Hanley and McDonnell drew them closer and with six minutes to go Carthy scored a brilliant team goal having been set up

by John McGuinness and McDonnell.

At 2-10 apiece, Mayo edged ahead again with two points from man of the match Lydon, but the young Rossies were not finished. Sub Liam Naughten and a McDonnell free in the 61st minute levelled the scores again and now extratime looked odds-on.

There was more drama to come as Mayo swept downfield and Lydon settled the game with a fine point in the dying seconds. A great way to win it, but a cruel outcome for a gallant Roscommon side who, on the balance of play, didn’t deserve to lose.

So Roscommon bow out, but the players and management can hold their heads high after this superb performance. There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the future with players like Sean McDonnell, the absent Niall Heneghan, Eoghan Carthy, Ryan Hanley, John McGuinness, Ruadhán Henry and Ruairí Kilcline around.

Roscommon manager James Duignan was understandably very disappointed when he spoke to People Sport, but he was very proud of his players.

“It’s a very tough one to take but those young lads couldn’t have given me any more. The effort they have put in this year has been phenomenal. We knew that when we played Mayo earlier in the year we didn’t do ourselves justice.

“There are lads out there like Eoghan Carthy and Sean McDonnell who will play for Roscommon (seniors) in the future and Niall Heneghan was a huge loss for us on the night too. We felt that we deserved at least to go to extra-time but it was not to be”.

Duignan thanked the players whom he said had been a credit to their families and their clubs. “We are very disappointed to lose but very proud of the group” he concluded.

Teams & scorers

Mayo: Conor Meaney; James Lavelle, Seanie O’Reilly, Yousif Coghill; Jamie Clarke, Rio Mortimer, Fionan O’Reilly; Tiernan Egan, Shane Cunningham; Colm Lynch (0-1), Tom Lydon (0-7, 4 frees), Dara Neary; Darragh Beirne (1-1), Josh Carey (1-3), Senan Guilfoyle. Subs: Eoin McGreal for Seamie

O’Reilly (34), Gavin Forry (0-1) for Guilfoyle (34), Seán Walsh for F O’Reilly (39), Thomas Tuffy for Neary (51), Ryan Gibbons for Carey (55).

Roscommon: Aaron Cox; Colin Murray, Nikita Berzins, Ryan Hanley (0-1); Conor Morris, Eoghan Carthy (1-1), Ruadhán Henry; Jamie Betts (0-1), David Higgins; Lee Taylor, Eoghan Murray, John McGuinness; Seán McDonnell (0-6, 4 frees), Ruairí Kilcline (1-1), John Curran (0-1). Subs: Rory Coyle for Kilcline (49), Liam Naughten (0-1) for Murray (55), Stephen Tighe for Morris (59).

Referee: Ronan Hynes (Sligo). Man of the Match Tom Lydon (Mayo)