CONNACHT MFC FINAL - Mayo 0-10 Roscommon 0-7:MAYO GOALKEEPER Robert Hennelly produced a stunning penalty save to deny Roscommon in a tough and tense Connacht minor football final at McHale Park, Castlebar, yesterday.

Hennelly got his leg in the way to deny Dara Lennon from the penalty spot 12 minutes from the end.

The result means Mayo have ended a seven-year gap since they last claimed the Connacht provincial crown.

Roscommon were within a point of Mayo, 0-8 to 0-7, when the penalty was saved but Mayo pushed on for the last 10 minutes with points from Raymond Geraghty and Aidan O'Shea to seal what had earlier seemed an unlikely victory.

Roscommon dominance in the first half was hardly reflected by the interval lead of just one point, 0-5 to 0-4.

The visitors had some bad wides, eight in all, while the free-taking of Lennon kept his side well on top.

Having failed to register their opening score until the 17th minute from Daniel O'Hara, Mayo came with a late burst.

Back-to-back points inside a minute from full forward Aidan Walsh changed the complexion of the game.

MAYO:R Hennelly; S McHale, K McHale, D Dolan; C Freeman (0-1), E Reilly, S Hanly; A Corduff (0-1), J Cafferty (0-1); U Crowe, A O'Shea (0-1), D Drake; D O'Hara (0-1), A Walsh (0-2), R Geraghty (0-2). Subs: D Gavin (0-1) for Crowe, J Broderick for McHale, G McDonagh for Drake, L Cawley for O'Hara.

ROSCOMMON:D O'Malley; P Brogan, N Collins, C Dolphin; E Bannon, N Daly (0-1), M Higgins; E Stritch, C Shine (0-1); E Sheehy, B Murtagh, B Carthy; N Kilroy, D Lennon (0-5), D McDermott. Subs: S Beirne for Sheehy, M Sweeney for Murtagh.

Referee:E O'Grady (Leitrim).