Valiant Roscommon secure U20 Connacht football title

Roscommon 5-16

Mayo 2-22

Roscommon claimed the Connacht Under 20 football championship for the second time in three years when defeating Mayo in Tuam Stadium on Wednesday night.

The win avenged last year's loss to the same opponents and also added a 12th provincial to the county's roll of honour at this age grade (U20/21).

Trailing by four points at half time having recorded the final two scores of the opening period, Roscommon sustained momentum in the early stages of the second half reeling off five points without reply from Mayo.

The closing quarter of the contest saw the tension levels rise with the JJ Fahy Cup on the line.

Roscommon had it won, then Mayo seemed to have their hands on the silverware, but neither team were able to see it out and extra-time was the fairest outcome, secured by Padraig Pearses half back Keelan Kelly, who popped the ball over the bar to bring the game into additional play.

Extra time was tense with Mayo dominating the opening period before Roscommon scored their fourth goal to leave a point between the teams.

The second period of extra-time saw Roscommon take control of proceedings.

A monster point from team captain Eoghan Carthy spurred his charges to victory which was eventually secured by St Dominic's Ruairi Kilcline when the substitute netted his second goal of the game.

Roscommon now face the Munster champions in the All-Ireland semi-final which is provisionally set for Saturday, May 9.

Scorers - Roscommon: R Kilcline 2-0, J Curran 1-2, J McGuinness 1-1, K Hester 1-0, E Carthy 0-4 (1tp, 1tpf), N Heneghan 0-2 (1m), D Casey 0-3 (1f), P Gaynor 0-1 (45), C O’Carroll 0-1f, C Murray 0-1, K Kelly 0-1.

Mayo - K McDonald 1-7 (1tp, 1 45), T Lydon 1-6, D Beirne 0-3, J Moyles 0-2, C Lynch 0-2, D Flynn 0-1, C Walsh 0-1.

Teams - Roscommon: Patrick Gaynor, Diarmuid O'Higgins, Nikita Berzins, Michael Gillooly, Conor Grogan, Keelan Kelly, Eoghan Carthy, Niall Heneghan, Cathal Enright, Cathal McKeon, John McGuinness, Eoin Collins, John Curran, Charlie O'Carroll, Dean Casey. Subs: Colin Murray for Grogan (half-time), Declan Kennedy for McKeon (half-time), Ruairí Kilcline for Casey (43), David Higgins for Enright (49), Kevin Hester for Curran (54), Liam Finneran for O’Higgins (full-time), Stephen Tighe for O’Carroll (full-time), Casey for Collins (73), Enright for Carthy (75), McKeon for McGuinness (76).

Mayo: Conor Meaney, James Lavelle, Tom Lambert, Aaron Coggins, Colm Lynch, Rio Mortimer, Josh Moyles, Darragh Staunton, Joey Holmes, Dylan Flynn, Kobe McDonald, Andrew Quinn, Darragh Beirne, Oisín Deane, Tom Lydon. Subs: Cian Walsh for Holmes (43), Thomas Tuffy for Moyles (49), Conor Jordan for Staunton (55), Mark Noonan for Mortimer (full-time), Dara Neary for Quinn (full-time), Yousif Coghill for Lavelle (67), Ben Holmes for Lydon (75), Josh Carey for Flynn (76).

Referee: Thomas Murphy (Galway).