Resilient Roscommon denied

A crowd in excess of 3,000 enjoyed an exciting FBD League final at the spiritual home of Galway football, where it took extra time to finally separate the protagonists and turn the contest the Tribesmen"s way at the denouement. What could be better to whet the appetites of respective partisans than a local derby meeting between Galway and Roscommon, with the prize on offer the Paddy Francis Dwyer Cup, together with a trip to Boston for the final proper v New York? Roscommon entertain Offaly, at Dr. Hyde Park in Division 3, while Galway travel to Cusack Park for a mouth-watering Division 1 clash against Westmeath, both games on Sunday, February 1. A highly encouraging FBD campaign to date - victories over Sligo IT, Mayo, and a draw against NUIG - resulted in a huge Roscommon support (outnumbering their hosts certainly 2:1), making the familiar trip to St. Jarlath"s Park on Sunday. Roscommon"s last time to win this competition was in 1999, over the same opposition at the same venue, while Liam Sammon"s men entered the game as holders. Roscommon showed two changes from the selected line-out: Seamus O"Neill and Fintan Cregg started at midfield and left corner-forward respectively instead of the listed Brian Higgins and Michael Duignan (injuries), while David Reilly replaced Declan Meehan at corner-back on the Galway team. Scores were level on three occasions inside the opening 10 minutes, but it was lucky 13 for the Maroons as, in the 13th minute, a rasping shot from Cormac Bane was parried by Ros" custodian Geoffrey Claffey, but corner-forward Jonathan Ryan was in like a flash to finish to the net. This came as a body blow to a Primrose and Blue outfit who had more than matched the homesters in the exchanges up to this. With Senan Kilbride (his second pointed free) and Cormac Bane swapping points, Roscommon would now enjoy a spell of ascendancy thanks, in the main, to some excellent defending by David Casey, coupled with a high work ethic from the Karol Mannion/Seamus O"Neill midfield axis. A trio of points, per Seanie McDermott (2, 1 free) and another Senan Kilbride pointed free, brought them level on the scoreboard, but, just on the 30th minute, disaster struck in the form of a poorly directed quick free which handed possession to Galway. A move involving Barry Cullinane, Jonathan Ryan, Padraic Joyce and Michael Meehan culminated in the latter sending an unstoppable missile to the net, giving Galway a 2-4 to 0-7 interval lead, hardly deserved on the general run of play. Fergal O"Donnell"s men didn"t show any adverse reaction to these double-pronged setbacks after the interval, as they tore into the contest with abandon. As he had done at the start of the game, Karol Mannion again showed the way with an early point, but there followed a spell of forward profligacy which produced four wides in as many minutes. Another Senan Kilbride pointed free made it a 1-point game, but Galway - who hadn"t scored for the opening 12 minutes of the second moiety - suddenly found their rhythm, and an unanswered four points per Michael Meehan (free and '45'), the improving Joe Bergin and outstanding half-back Darren Mullahy swung the pendulum back in their favour. However, Roscommon"s response was lightning and lethal. Boyle"s impressive newcomer, Damien Keenehan, lofted over a 50th minute point, but the old stand in Tuam Stadium rocked to its foundations as an attacking foray involving substitute Derek Connellan, Seamus O"Neill and Senan Kilbride attacking foray culminated in the best manner possible with the St. Brigid"s player giving Galway goalie Paul Doherty no chance with a piledriver to the net. In a twinkling, we had a 1-point game again, and while the evergreen Padraic Joyce steadied the Galway ship with a 55th-minute point, Roscommon surged forward in waves. Seanie McDermott, now operating from half-back, pointed almost immediately, and it took some desperate defending from players like Finian Hanley, Diarmuid Blake and Darren Mullahy in the Galway rearguard to keep the resurgent Rossies at bay. On the stroke of full-time, Seamus O"Neill earned a free which Senan Kilbride pointed for the equaliser, and there was a chance of an injury-time winner, but Senan was untypically off target. Extra-time was, therefore, required, the sides being deadlocked on the scoreboard - Roscommon 1-12, Galway 2-9. A new referee, Michael Duffy (Sligo) made his appearance for the injured Eamonn O"Grady (Leitrim) as extra-time got under way. Both sides exchanged early wides, but, as the opening 10-minute spell wore on, it was the Tribesmen who wrested the initiative from gallant, but tiring, opponents. Points from Bane, Michael Meehan (2, 1 free) and Darren Mullahy now left them 2-13 to 1-12 to the good, and with midfielder Barry Cullinane now winning everything in this sector, this dominance continued unabated into the second period of E-T. Cullinane added another point one minute after the break, and, three minutes later, it was a typical old-firm movement as dynamic duo Michael Meehan and Padraic Joyce combined for the Killererin star to score his third point of the afternoon. Roscommon, now six points adrift, never gave up and, with typical resilience, reduced arrears with two late points from Paul Gleeson and Seanie McDermott, but that extra-time revival by Liam Sammon"s charges proved enough in the end to see them retain the title. Roscommon could have won this game in normal time. They recovered well from that first-half double goal whammy, but those early second-half misses and a tendency to give away some hard won possession proved costly in the long run. They, nonetheless, look a vastly improved squad from last year, and will have benefited greatly from a good FBD campaign and will be hopeful of making substantial progress in the upcoming NFL. Particularly impressive on Sunday were defenders Paul Gleeson, David Casey and John Nolan, with Seanie McDermott also prominent when moved to defence in the second half. Karol Mannion worked hard at midfield with good support from Seamus O"Neill while Senan Kilbride, with Seanie McDermott, were top scorers up front, where Damien Keenehan also caught the eye on occasions. SCORERS - Galway: M Meehan (1-4, 0-2f, 0-1 '45'), D Mullahy (0-3), P Joyce (0-3), J Ryan (1-0), C Bane (0-2), N Joyce (0-1), J Bergin (0-1), B Cullinane (0-1). Roscommon: S Kilbride (1-5, 0-5f), S McDermott (0-5, 2f), K Mannion (0-2), D Keenehan (0-1), P Gleeson (0-1). Galway: Paul Doherty, Niall Coyne, Finian Hanley, David Reilly, Gary O"Donnell, Diarmuid Blake, Darren Mullahy, Barry Cullinane, Joe Bergin, Cormac Bane, Padraic Joyce, Nicky Joyce, Jonathan Ryan, Michael Meehan, Martin Coady. Subs: Fiachra Breathnach for Coady (34); Sean Armstrong for Ryan (58); Mark Lydon for Breathnach (start of E/T). Roscommon: Geoffrey Claffey, Paddy O"Connor, Paul Gleeson, Padraig Duignan, Sean Purcell, David Casey, John Nolan, Karol Mannion, Seamus O"Neill, Gary Cox, Damien Keenehan, Seanie McDermott, Robert Gaynor, Senan Kilbride, Fintan Cregg. Subs: Kevin Higgins for O"Connor (h/t); Derek Connellan for Gaynor (41): Keith Waldron for Cox (yellow card, 55); David Flynn for Duignan (E/T, 10); Paul Garvey for O"Neill (E/T, 13); Paul Kelly for Purcell (E/T, 17). Referee: Eamon O"Grady (Leitrim), replaced in E-T by Michael Duffy (Sligo).