Galway 3-7, Roscommon 1-8: One of those wildly changeable afternoons in the football championship. Before throw-in at Hyde Park it looked like it could either rain or shine - so it rained. Before half-time it looked like Galway could either go home or start playing - so they played.
And then, striking like assassins, they killed Roscommon's hopes of making an unexpected Connacht final. Two goals for Galway - two heartbreaking, gut-wrenching goals for Roscommon - turned the game upside down and inside out, and in the process killed the hysterical hopes of the home crowd.
For the first 35 minutes Roscommon produced typically rousing championship football, storming into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead that in no way flattered their superiority. But more on that later. This game will be remembered for Galway's two dramatic goals immediately after half-time. They cut Roscommon's advantage like putting scissors to a string, and never relinquished it.
Whatever tactical changes Galway manager Peter Ford gave to his team at half-time didn't take long to be executed. Those of us in the press box had just started our stopwatches when we looked up to see Niall Coleman win the throw-in and send the ball straight into Seán Armstrong, who promptly rattled the back of the Roscommon net.
After writing that in our foolscaps we looked up again to see Micheál Meehan passing to Damien Dunleavy in front of the Roscommon goal. John Tiernan blocked his path. Penalty. Meehan stepped up with typical calmness and shook the roof of the Roscommon net.
Galway were up 2-1 to 0-6, and as we then suspected, it was game over.
During half-time all the memories of 2001 had been relived, when Roscommon famously beat their old Connacht rivals when - like here - no one had given them a chance.
Roscommon, to the credit of manager John Maughan, did produce some dazzling football in the opening 35 minutes. Tactically, they easily outplayed Galway, isolating David Hoey and Gerry Lohan in their full forward line and playing everyone else deep. The Galway half forwards were choked, and their full forwards - Meehan and Armstrong in particular - saw precious little ball. Veterans such as Pádraic Joyce and Derek Savage looked rattled, while Michael Donnellan just looked angry.
Suddenly it became easy for Roscommon. Their defence cleared ball like clockwork, Séamus "Shaq" O'Neill engineered things at midfield, and Ger Heneghan and Karol Mannion took almost every scoring chance they were given.
Heneghan's free-taking oozed confidence, and Mannion's third free on 29 minutes left them 0-6 to no score in front. It seemed certain Galway would end the half without a score before Joyce snuck a free in between the posts (just about) - after sneaking a few yards from the positioning of it as well.
Roscommon were given a standing ovation from their supporters among the 11,317-crowd as they left the field at half time, and they deserved it. Yet it seemed inevitable Galway would fight back.
They hadn't panicked or done anything stupid, they just waited for half-time.
In fact, they were out sharply ahead of time for the second half, and their forwards went straight into a huddle. Their moment of redemption was soon to arrive. The two goals clearly took the life out Roscommon's game.
Joyce's point and a sweet 45-metre free from Meehan quickly eased Galway further in front, 2-3 to 0-6, and they scored the next four points as well to go seven points clear with just 15 minutes left. Roscommon hadn't scored in almost 30 minutes and weren't getting the chances either.
While O'Neill faded noticeably, Donnellan took complete control of midfield and proved the wrecking ball of all Roscommon's attempts to rebuild a challenge.
They were, however, given one last blast of hope. On 57 minutes Galway goalkeeper Alan Keane attempted to chip a harmless ball towards his defence, but his ghastly miscalculation saw it land in the chest of Roscommon substitute Enda Kenny. He charged towards the goal, sneaked around the sole defender, Diarmuid Burke, and finished off the gift of a goal. A terribly soft goal for Galway to give away, but Roscommon needed it.
When Heneghan followed that with a coolly-struck 45-metre free Roscommon were back to three - 2-7 to 1-7 - and briefly it was game on again. Briefly, because within minutes Galway collected their third and decisive goal. Joyce sent a floating ball in towards the Roscommon goal, and although Geoffrey Claffey half-punched it clear, it fell into the hands of Meehan, who laid it off to Savage. He couldn't miss and Galway's passage to the final was clear again.
For the last 10 minutes Galway shut all corridors to a score, and Roscommon realised their day was over. It was a hard way to lose, but they showed plenty of potential, and for a young and rebuilding team that's always some consolation.
GALWAY: 1 A Keane; 2 K Fitzgerald, 3 F Hanley, 4 D Meehan; 5 A Burke, 6 D Blake, 7 D Burke; 8 N Coleman (0-1), 9 P Geraghty; 10 M Clancy, 14 P Joyce (0-2, one free), 11 M Donnellan; 13 M Meehan (1-3, penalty, two frees, '45), 12 D Savage (1-0), 15 S Armstrong (1-1). Subs: 22 D Dunleavy for Geraghty (half-time), 28 J Bergin for Clancy (69 mins), 23 C Bane for Armstrong (70 mins), 18 M Comer for Fitzgerald (71 mins)
ROSCOMMON: 1 G Claffey; 4 P O'Connor, 3 D Casey, 2 S McDermott; 5 S Daly, 6 J Nolan, 7 R Dooner; 8 S O'Neill, 9 B Mullin; 10 M Finneran, 11 G Heneghan (0-4, three frees, '45), 13 J Tiernan; 14 K Mannion (0-3, two frees), 12 D Hoey, 15 G Lohan (0-1). Subs: 17 S Lohan for Hoey (half-time), 22 E Kenny (1-0) for Mullin (47 mins), 23 C Cregg for G Lohan (65 mins)
Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)
