Roscommon 0-19 Longford - 1-8: Roscommon left behind their dreadful form at Hyde Park yesterday. After Tommy Carr's resignation last Monday, interim manager Val Daly got off to the perfect start as his team recovered from a poor opening. The result is a blow to Longford's chances of returning to Division One.

Longford began brilliantly with points from Brian Kavanagh and Padraic Davis (two) followed by a goal from Niall Sheridan, in the eighth minute, for a five-point lead.

However, Roscommon took control and outscored Longford by 0-11 to 0-1 in the last 20 minutes of the half, Derek Connellan hitting seven of those points.

The pace of the game slackened in the second half but Roscommon struck with Jonathan Dunning (two), Ger Heneghan (two), Karol Mannion, Nigel Dineen and Enda Kenny taking points. Longford's Mark Connor pulled a 50th-minute penalty wide while Sheridan had a goal disallowed for a square ball with six minutes remaining.

ROSCOMMON: S Curran; M Ryan, B McNeela, J Rogers; D Donnelly, C Beirne, P Noone; S O'Neill, M Finneran (0-2); G Cox (0-1), E Kenny (0-1), D Connellan (0-7, five frees); J Dunning (0-2), K Mannion (0-2), F Grehan (0-1). Subs: G Heneghan (0-2) for Beirne (yellow card, 8 mins), E Towey for McNeela (yellow card, 48 mins), N Dineen (0-1) for Heneghan (yellow card, 60 mins), J Tiernan for Cox (68 mins).

LONGFORD: D Sheridan; D Brady, C Conefrey, E Ledwith; S Mulligan, D Glennon, A O'Connor; P Dowd (0-1), L Keenan; T Smullen, D Blessington, B Kavanagh (0-2); J Kiernan, N Sheridan (1-0), P Davis (0-5, two frees). Subs: D Reilly for Brady (yellow card, 15 mins), K Mulligan for Glennon (28 mins), T Glendenning for Keenan (32 mins), J Nally for Ledwith (35 mins), M Connor for Kiernan (half-time), J Martin for Mulligan (45 mins).

YELLOW CARDS: Roscommon: C Beirne (8 mins), B McNeela (48 mins), G Heheghan (60 mins); Longford: D Brady (15 mins).

Referee: M McGrath (Donegal).