Roscommon 1-17 Cavan 0-18
Roscommon go up to Division Two as champions after coming out on top after a thoroughly entertaining Division Three final at Croke Park on Saturday evening.
They had two points to spare after an excellent second-half effort, coming back from what looked like a dangerous situation for them early in the game. Donie Shine and Senan Kilbride kept the scoreboard rolling at a time when Cavan were kicking wide after wide up the other end.
Ultimately their greater accuracy told the tale.
With the late-evening cold closing in and the stadium decidedly echoey, summer felt a good distance away. Nonetheless, what the two sides served up had plenty to recommend it.
Gearóid McKiernan was in fine fettle at midfield for Cavan and his two first-half points were as well-taken as anything the championship will throw up.
The first was off his right, the second off his left – both on the run, both from 40 metres. They bookended a terrific opening period from Cavan, which had them 0-7 to 0-2 ahead with 17 minutes gone.
Niall McDermott landed a towering pair of his own and but for a missed penalty by Martin Dunne – a poor effort saved low to his right by Roscommon goalkeeper Darren O’Malley – Cavan would have been away into opening country with little hope of being caught.
As it was, Roscommon hung in there and through frees from Shine and Kilbride and when wing-back David Keenan loped forward a few minutes short of the break, they were only four points down.
He tried to make it three but ended up making it one, his shot for a point falling apologetically under the crossbar to make the half time score 0-9 to 1-5 in Cavan’s favour.
The second half began with the sides trading point for point but with the wind at their backs, it was Roscommon who settled into a more regular groove of scoring.
Shine and Kilbride were unerring all the way but centre-back Niall Daly got forward for a couple of well-taken efforts too.
Meanwhile Cavan were contriving to throw their early good play to the wind.
They kicked eight second-half wides to Roscommon’s two, with few of them particularly difficult chances. In the end, it was two Roscommon substitutes Colin Compton and Finbar Cregg who added the killer points to win it for the westerners.
In the Division Four final, Tipperary beat Clare 1-16 to 1-15.Conor Sweeney scored 1-8 for Tipp, including two late points that swung it their way when they needed it most.
Cavan: C Gilsenan; J Hayes, R Dunne, F Flanagan (0-1); J McEnroe (0-1), A Clarke, D O'Reilly; G McKiernan (0-2), K Brady; C Mackey (0-2), N McDermott (0-4), M Reilly (0-3, 0-1 45); J Brady, M Dunne (0-3), E Keating (0-2, 0-1 free). Subs: K Clare for K Brady, 27 mins; M Argue for McEnroe, 52 mins; M Lyng for J Brady, 55 mins; R Maloney-Derham A Clarke, 65 mins; D Givney for Lyng, 68 mins; K Tierney for Keating, 69 mins; D Flynn for C Cregg, 72 mins
Roscommon: D O'Malley; S McDermott, N Carty, N Collins; D Keenan (1-0), N Daly (0-2), C Cafferkey; C Shine, K Higgins (0-1); D O'Gara (0-1), D Shine (0-6, 0-4 frees, 0-1 45), D Donnelly; S Kilbride (0-5, 0-3 frees), C Cregg, C Murtagh. Subs: R Stack for D Donnelly, 32 mins; C Compton (0-1) for Murtagh, 58 mins; M Finneran for O'Gara, 60 mins; F Cregg (0-1) for D Shine, 64 mins; C Burns for Higgins, 70 mins
