Hodson Bay Hotel Group Roscommon SFC semi-final
Roscommon Gaels 1-19 Michael Glaveys 3-9 (after extra-time)
If excitement and drama were in short supply in last Saturday’s Roscommon SFC semi-final, Sunday’s cracker certainly compensated. In ideal weather conditions, Roscommon Gaels and Michael Glaveys went at each other hammer and tongs from the opening exchanges. It resulted in a thriller, the outcome of which was only decided in the final minutes of extra-time.
The Gaels looked in control early in the contest but after Glaveys struck for their first goal in the 20th minute the contest was on a knife-edge right to the end. In fact it looked like Glaveys would win it when they led by four points with just seven minutes of normal time remaining. But the town team found reserves of stamina from somewhere and kicked four points without reply to send the game into extra-time. In that extra-time period Glaveys seemed to run out of steam and the Gaels finished strongly to get over the line and qualify for a shot at the title.
Glaveys’ ability to get goals had seen them forge ahead again in extra-time, but the Gaels stuck to their task and in the end they won by a flattering four-point margin.
Ryan Conlon was the undoubted star of the opening half. The young Roscommon Gaels half-forward kicked five superb points from play. By the 18th minute that purple scoring patch had helped his team into a 0-6 to 0-2 lead.
But when a misplaced pass went straight to Cathal Heneghan two minutes later, the county star planted the ball in the Gaels’ net and it was game on after that. Heneghan was superb – as were Darragh Heneghan and Andy Glennon – as Glaveys looked dangerous every time they attacked. At half-time Roscommon Gaels were 0-8 to 1-4 in front.
The sides were level three times in the third quarter. Then in the 46th minute goalkeeper Sean Burke was on target with a long-range free. Two minutes later the ball was in the Gaels net again after great work from Darragh and Cathal Heneghan, Andy Glennon finishing the move.
It was looking good for Glaveys at that stage but the Gaels came with a dramatic late rally to keep their hopes alive. Led by the superb Tim Lambe, John McManus and John McGuinness, Mark Dowd’s men scored four points in a row from Ryan Conlon (a free), Mark Purcell (45) and two majestic efforts from Lambe. The score at the end of normal time was Roscommon Gaels 0-15 Michael Glaveys 2-9.
Glaveys struck for goal number three in the first period of extra-time, courtesy of Robert Heneghan, but the Gaels were hanging on grimly and points from McGuinness and Peter Gillooly reduced the margin to just one. Glaveys wasted a glorious chance for a fourth goal when a long-range pass went astray in the 68th minute.
The Gaels finally pulled away in the second period of extra-time with points from sub Kieran Kilcline and a long-range free from Mark Purcell. The game was ended as a contest in the final minute when Peter Gillooly raced clear and shot low past Sean Burke to seal a final place and set up a repeat of the 2019 decider against Padraig Pearses.
Ryan Conlon and Tim Lambe were outstanding for the Gaels, while John McManus, John McGuinness, Mark Purcell and Mark Healy were also superb.
Cathal Heneghan was outstanding for a gallant Glaveys, while Shane O’Malley, Darragh Heneghan, Robert Heneghan, Andy Glennon and Caoileann Fitzmaurice were also prominent.
In the final analysis the Gaels looked marginally fitter and sharper when it came down to those crucial final few minutes. It promises to be a cracking county final on Sunday week.
Roscommon Gaels: James Featherstone; Cathal Dineen, James Connolly, Senan Lambe; Tim Lambe (0-2), John McManus, Ronan Gleeson; Mark Purcell (0-2, 1 f, 1 ’45), Mark Healy; Cian Connolly, Scott Oates, Ryan Conlon (0-6, 1 free); John McGuinness (0-3, 1 mark), Peter Gillooly (1-3, 3 frees), Richard Walsh (0-3, 2 frees), Subs: Kieran Kilcline (0-1) for Walsh (39), Conor Grogan for Gleeson (50), Joey O’Malley for Dineen (e/t), Richard Walsh for Oates (e/t).
Michael Glavey’s: Sean Burke (0-1 free); Conor Donellan, Shane O’Malley, David Frayne; Luke Ruane, Liam Cregg, Daniel Hagney; Caoileann Fitzmaurice, Conor Hussey; Robert Heneghan (1-1), Cathal Heneghan (1-2), Dylan Ruane (0-2, 1 free); Darragh Heneghan (0-2), Andy Glennon (1-1), Neil Morris. Subs: Niall Heneghan for Hagney (43), Dylan Connolly for L Ruane (50), Pat Morris for N Heneghan (e/t), Seamus Burke for Cregg (e/t), Daniel Hagney for C Heneghan (e/t).
Referee: Jimmy Donoghue.
Man of the Match
Tim Lambe (Roscommon Gaels)
