Higgins' strike helps Ros' to edge out Garden men

Roscommon look destined to play Division 3 football next year following their one point away win in this top of the table clash with Wicklow at Aughrim on Sunday. This win puts the Rossies on top of the league table on their own and, with one of their remaining matches against Kilkenny, there seems to be no way they can be stopped from advancing to the next division. This was a cracking game of football between two well matched sides, the exchanges really exploding to life in the second half. It was lanky midfielder Kevin Higgins who won the match for the Connacht champions with a goal and a point in the crucial final quarter. Wicklow had taken a five point lead midway through the second half, 2-11 to 2-6, but Roscommon showed great character in the closing phase with Kevin Higgins, who had moved from midfield to full-forward, spearheading the attack and leading the charge to eventual victory. Twice in the first ten minutes, Donal Shine and Conor Devaney swapped points with Leighton Glynn, but then Wicklow opened up a 0-5 to 0-2 lead with a lovely brace by Mayo man Austin O'Malley and a single from full-forward Seanie Furlong. Roscommon corner-forward John Rogers brought the sides level after 18 minutes, the No 13 volleying to the net from an acute angle. after goalie John Flynn parried a stinging shot from Donie Shine. That set the tone for this ding-dong battle between the sides. Ten minutes later Wicklow, raised the green flag. Seanie Furlong got his fist to a cross from Leighton Glynn and punched to the net at the far post to give Mick O'Dwyer's men a slender 1-7 to 1-6 lead at the break. We had an explosive start to the second half. Inside a minute, Karol Mannion blasted Roscommon into the lead with a lightening goal, but the lead was short-lived as Wicklow hit back straight away. Bottled up by three Roscommon defenders, Seanie Furlong still succeeded in getting his pass away to Austin O'Malley, who drilled a terrific left-foot shot inside Geoffrey Claffey's right hand post. That was the start of a purple patch for the Garden County men, who eased into a five point lead nearing the end of the third quarter, 2-11 to 2-6, with a brace from Furlong and a single from O'Malley. Roscommon showed true grit and determination to fight back. Despite good work by James Stafford for Wicklow, midfielders Kevin Higgins and Michael Finneran had been winning the battle for Roscommon. Donie Shine, John Rogers, Senan O'Grady and David Keenan were also to the fore for the westerners. A string of points from Shine, Higgins, Conor Devaney, Mannion and Rogers brought the sides level at 2-12 each after 58 minutes. The exchanges were hectic from there to the final whistle. Rogers and Wicklow's Paul Earls exchanged points before Roscommon's midfielder turned full-forward Kevin Higgins struck a major blow for the westerners. Cathal Cregg picked out Higgins unmarked in front of goal and the big No 9 applied the clinical finish with a powerful drive. Roscommon now had their tails up and Wicklow were chasing the game. Glynn, O'Malley and Furlong continued to ask questions with points, but Roscommon held on for a dramatic win. SCORERS - Roscommon: J Rogers (1-3, 0-2f), K Higgins (1-2), K Mannion (1-1), C Devaney (0-3), D Shine (0-3, 2f, 1 '45'), S O'Grady (0-2), Wicklow: S Furlong (1-8, 0-4f), A O'Malley (1-4, 0-1f), L Glynn (0-3), P Earls (0-1). ROSCOMMON: G Claffey; S McDermott, D Ward, P Domican; N Carty, D Keenan, S Purcell; M Finneran, K Higgins, K Mannion, D Shine, C Cregg; J Rogers, S O'Grady, J Dunning. Subs: Conor Devaney for Dunning. Paul Garvey for Cregg. WICKLOW: J Flynn; P Higgins, A Byrne, C Hyland; P Dalton, B McGrath, D Hayden; J Stafford, R Finn; T Hannon, P Cunningham, JP Dalton; A O'Malley, S Furlong, L Glynn. Subs: D Siney for JP Dalton, P Earls for P. Cunningham. REFEREE: B O'Shea (Dublin).