Connacht Under-21 FC Final Mayo 0-16 Roscommon 0-13The buoyant state of Mayo football was underlined at Hyde Park last night when the county's under-21 footballers qualified for the All-Ireland semi-finals with a deserved victory. The visitors always had the edge and the foundation for victory was laid in the full-forward line where Alan Costello, Damian Munnelly and Michael Conroy caused problems with their movement and pace.
The game pitted friends John Maughan and Tommy Carr against one another in a provincial final for the second time this year but while Carr's under-21s put up a much better fight than his senior team it was Maughan's Mayo who again won. After the game Carr revealed he hadn't yet made up his mind about staying on as Roscommon manager.
Mayo led from the off with Munnelly scoring the first of his seven points from a free. They led by 0-3 to 0-2 at the end of the first quarter before playing some neat football to open up a four-point lead with scores from Conroy, Munnelly and Paul Doherty. Despite enterprising play from Roscommon forwards Jarlath Egan and John Carleton Mayo were still four ahead at half-time, 0-9 to 0-5.
After early second-half points from Munnelly and Doherty it looked like Mayo would pull away but Roscommon were the better team in the third quarter as Egan and Carleton reduced the gap to three. Munnelly responded but scores from Egan and Derek Connellan left two points between the teams with 15 minutes remaining.
Following a great save by Roscommon goalkeeper David Moran from Conroy, Andy Moran struck for a point. Further scores followed from Munnelly and Costello to stretch the gap to five. Substitute Stuart Daly gave the home team some hope with a 55th-minute point but while Roscommon battled to the end their last chance went when Mayo goalkeeper Fintan Ruddy, who was first choice for the senior team until dropped for the All-Ireland quarter-final, saved a shot from Senan Kilbride with his foot.
A good score from Conroy sandwiched between two Egan frees made the game safe for Mayo, who now go on to meet Kildare in the All-Ireland semi-final.
MAYO: F Ruddy; D Geraghty, P Navin, L O'Malley; S Drake, M Carey, R Feeney; R McNamara, P Doherty (0-2); A Moran (0-1), N Lydon, A Kilcoyne (0-1); A Costello (0-2), D Munnelly (0-7, six frees), M Conroy (0-3). Subs: C Barrett for N Lydon, T Howley for Feeney, C Halloran for Drake, K Costello for Kilcoyne, P Lydon for Carey.
ROSCOMMON: D Moran; D Donnelly, G Aherne, P Duignan; S McDermott, R Nolan, I Kilbride; M Finneran, M O'Carroll; P Fox, P O'Connor, D Connellan (0-3); J Carleton (0-1), S Kilbride (0-1, free), J Egan (0-7, five frees). Subs: E Barrett for Duignan, G Dolan for Nolan, S Daly (0-1) for Aherne, D Blaine for Carleton.
Referee: P McGovern (Galway).
