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There was a lot of this in Hyde Park today. James Crombie/INPHO
missed opportunities

Mayo just scrape past Roscommon to reach Connacht SFC final

Neither Mayo or Roscommon brought their shooting boots today though.

Mayo 0-13

Roscommon 1-9

MAYO OVERCAME SOME wayward shooting to beat Roscommon by the minimum in their Connacht Football Championship semi-final in Dr Hyde Park today in a game that contained double the number of first half wides (14) as scores.

James Horan’s men opened the scoring through Jason Doherty in the second minute with Roscommon’s Kevin Higgins equalising two minutes later.

However, after Cillian O’Connor pointed a free right in front of the posts in the ninth minute, we had to wait a full 12 minutes for the game’s next score when the Ballintubber man added a second free from an identical position.

The Rossies had the game’s best chance of a goal just seconds later when Colm Boyle failed to make a routine pick up but Ciaráin Murtagh’s effort was saved.

Finally, some 29 minutes after their first score, Roscommon added their second through Senan Kilbride but it was almost immediately cancelled out by Kevin McLoughlin to restore Mayo’s two point lead.

However, Donie Shine pointed his first score just before the break to send the sides into the break with Mayo leading by 0-4 to 0-3.

Unsurprisingly, the second half opened with a wide for both sides but the teams were level when Kilbride grabbed his second on 37 minutes though the St. Brigids forward really should have been raising the green flag.

Mayo were back in front through O’Connor’s third free of the game two minutes later but they were left stunned on 42 minutes when Ciarán Cafferkey collected a short pass from half-back partner Niall Daly before powering home the game’s first goal.

The Mayo response was impressive with three frees from O’Connor and McLoughin (2) restoring their lead before Roscommon substitute Diarmuid Murtagh scored two quick points to put his side into a 1-6 to 0-8 lead on 51 minutes.

That lead was three with ten minutes to go when Kilbride and Mark Nally scored back to back points before Andy Moran bagged successive scores of his own to make it a one point game in the 63rd minute.

The sides were level when Seamus O’Shea scored from range three minutes later before O’Connor’s fifth pointed free put Mayo into the lead again on 70 minutes.

With five minutes of injury time to play with, Roscommon could afford not to panic but failed to create a clear chance in the first three and McLoughlin’s fourth point of the game looked to secure the win for Mayo.

With 30 seconds left, Murtagh pointed a close-range free to cut the deficit to the minimum but some great defending from Colm Boyle stopped what looked a goal chance for Roscommon and James Horan’s men just held on.

Scorers for Mayo: Cillian O’Connor 0-5 (0-5f), Kevin McLoughlin 0-4 (0-2f), Andy Moran 0-2, Jason Doherty and Seamus O’Shea 0-1.
Scorers for Roscommon: Ciarán Cafferkey 1-0 Senan Kilbride 0-3 (0-1f), Diarmuid Murtagh 0-3 (0-1f), Donie Shine 0-1 (0-1f), Kevin Higgins and Mark Nally 0-1 each.

MAYO
1. Robbie Hennelly – Breaffy
2. Tom Cunniffe – Castlebar Mitchels
3. Ger Cafferkey – Ballina
4. Keith Higgins – Ballyhaunis
5. Lee Keegan – Westport (Captain)
6.  Colm Boyle – Davitts
7.  Donal Vaughan – Ballinrobe
8.  Aidan O’Shea – Breaffy
9.  Seamus O’Shea – Breaffy
10. Diarmuid O’Connor – Ballintubber
11. Conor O’Shea – Breaffy
12. Jason Doherty – Burrishoole
13. Kevin McLoughlin – Knockmore
14. Alan Freeman – Aghamore
15. Cillian O’Connor – Ballintubber

Subs: Andy Moran for C O’Shea (45mins), Alan Dillon for D O’Connor (53mins) Mike Sweeney for A Freeman (61mins), Richie Feeney for J Doherty (73mins)

ROSCOMMON
1. Darren O’Malley – Michael Glaveys
2. Seán McDermott – Western Gaels
3. Niall Carty – Padraig Pearses (Captain)
4. Neil Collins – Castlerea St. Kevins
5. Ian Kilbride – St. Brigids
6. Niall Daly – Padraig Pearses
7. Ciarán Cafferkey – Western Gaels
8. Cathal Shine – Clann na nGael
9. Kevin Higgins – Western Gaels
10. David O’Gara – Roscommon Gaels
11. Donie Shine – Clann na nGael
12. Ronan Stack – St. Brigids
13. Senan Kilbride – St. Brigids
14. Cathal Cregg- Western Gaels
15. Ciaráin Murtagh – St. Faithleachs​

Sub: Diarmuid Murtagh for C Murtagh (46 mins), Mark Nally for D O’Gara (54mins), Enda Smith for D Shine (54mins), Marty Finnerman for S Kilbride (67mins), Donie Smith for C Cregg (68mins).

Referee: Eddie Kinsell (Laois)

Gavin Duffy refuses to line out for club in order to watch Mayo v Roscommon

LIVE: Louth v Kildare, Leinster SFC quarter-final

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