Connacht Minor Football Championship – Friday, 4th May
Galway 4-18 Roscommon 0-8
Darren Kelly in Tuam Stadium
Galway kicked off their Connacht Minor Football Championship with an emphatic win over Roscommon to begin the new round-robin series.
In the first year of the new under 17 structure, the Tribesmen showed patience in a tight opening half before goals for Matthew Cooley and Aidan Halloran gave Donal O Fatharta’s team a 2-5 to 0-5 interval advantage.
And even though Liam Ormsby reduced arrears just after the restart, another 2-9 unanswered ensured Galway laid down a marker with Cooley and Halloran again adding the green flags.
Aaron McDermott opened for Roscommon from a placed ball before Ryan Monahan levelled matters on 10 minutes. And this was the theme of the opening 30 minutes.
Ormsby and Eoghan Derwin kicked Roscommon scores in the first 15 minutes but the maroon and white always had an answer with Paul Kelly and Oisin Gormally on target.
After good work from Cooley, Kelly gave Galway the lead for the first time on 17 minutes before Shane Cunnane restored parity. And they were level again when Derwin and Monahan traded minors before Galway put distance between them.
Cathal Sweeney, Sean Black, Tony Gill and Halloran were involved as Daniel Cox won a penalty which Cooley converted. And before the half-time whistle, Halloran came in from the right for a second to give Galway their six-point cushion.
But after Sweeney’s 34th minute point cancelled Ormsby’s second score, Galway settled the contest as Roscommon’s challenge faded.
Halloran and Cooley added points before getting goals to make it 4-9 to 0-6 on 42 minutes. Further white flags for Cox, Halloran, Gormally (2) and Tinney had Galway 20 points to the good.
James Fitzpatrick arrested the slide for what proved to be Roscommon’s final point on 52 minutes. Gormally, Conor Raftery, Monahan and Cox rounded out a comprehensive result.
Scorers:
Galway – Matthew Cooley 2-2 (1-0 penalty), Aidan Halloran 2-2, Ryan Monahan 0-4 (all frees), Paul Kelly 0-2, Oisin Gormally 0-4 (one free), Cathal Sweeney 0-1, Daniel Cox 0-1, Eoghan Tinney 0-1, Conor Raftery 0-1
Roscommon – Eoghan Derwin 0-2, Aaron McDermott 0-1 (free), Liam Ormsby 0-2, Shane Cunnane 0-1 (free), James Fitzpatrick 0-1
Galway: Donie Halloran; Cian Deane, Sean Black, Conor Halbard; Ryan Monahan, Tony Gill, Cathal Sweeney; Paul Kelly, Conor Raftery; Liam Judge, Aidan Halloran, Oisin McCormack; Oisin Gormally, Daniel Cox, Matthew Cooley. Subs used: Eoghan Tinney for Halloran (46 mins), Eanna McCormack for O. McCormack (49 mins), James McLoughlin for Judge (50 mins), Ruairi McSweeney for Gill (55 mins), Dylan Joyce for Cooley (56 mins), Odhran Dooley for Black (58 mins)
Roscommon: Daniel Connolly; Sean Trundle, Dylan Gaughan, Kealan Gunning; Robbie Dolan, Ruaidhri Fallon, Jack Lohan; Enda Cawley, Jonathan Hester; Aaron McDermott, Liam Ormsby, Eoghan Derwin; Fearghus Lennon, Shane Cunnane, James Fitzpatrick. Subs used: Niall Moran for Hester (22 mins), Cathal Brogan for Trundle (HT), Charlie Carthy for McDermott (38 mins), Darragh Murray for Gaughan (39 mins), Richard Walsh for Derwin (47 mins), James Browne for Gunning (55 mins)
Referee: Barry Judge (Sligo)
