MAYO 2-16
ROSCOMMON 0-14
MAYO SECURED back-to-back Connacht minor football titles as 1-6 from Brian Reape proved crucial in a fine eight-point win over Roscommon at McHale Park today.
Despite the Rossies going ahead with 12 minutes to go, Reape struck 1-3 without reply in the final 10 to send the reining All-Ireland champions into the last eight.
In the opening half, Mayo got away with kicking seven wides as Brian Reape and Conor Byrne got them underway and midfielders Gary Walsh and Matthew Ruane established an early dominance.
Cian Hanley struck a well-worked goal for Enda Givarry’s men on 10 minutes, when he fired into the bottom corner following a neat ball over the top from Stephen Brennan to consolidate their perfect start.
Roscommon got off the mark when Hubert Darcy, Noel Gately, Luke Carty and Fergal Lennon popped over neat first-half scores, but Mayo kept them coming at the other end with Gary Boylan, Reape, Hanley and Byrne splitting the posts to see the Maritime County lead 1-8 to 0-8 at the break.
Roscommon improved after the restart as Gately, Carty, Darcy and frees from Smyth flung them into the lead, but Mayo kicked 1-6 without reply to finish the game in style, with Reape coming into his own — his goal was the killer blow when Sharoize Akram played the star in and he duly fired his men into the quarters.
Scorers for Mayo: Brian Reape 1-6, Cian Hanley 1-2, Conor Byrne, Fionan Duffy 0-2 each, Gary Boylan 0-2 (0-1f), Conor Kilkenny, TJ Byrne 0-1 each.
Scorers for Roscommon: Noel Gately 0-5, Hubert Darcy 0-3, Kevin Smyth 0-3 (0-3f), Luke Carty 0-2, Fergal Lennon 0-1.
MAYO
1. Matthew Flanagan (Balla)
2. Seamus Cunniffe (Ballaghadereen)
3. Barry Duffy (Balla)
4. Eoin O Donoghue (Belmullet)
5. Jason Forkan (Kiltimagh)
6. Sean Conlon (Castlebar Mitchels)
17. Stephen Brennan (Claremorris)
8. Gary Walsh (Breaffy)
9. Matthew Ruane (Breaffy)
10. Sharoize Akram (Ballaghaderreen)
11. Cian Hanley (Ballaghaderreen)
24. Gary Boylan (Belmullet)
13. Conor Byrne (Bohola Moy Davitts)
14. T.J. Byrne (Kiltimagh)
15. Brian Reape (Bohola Moy Davitts)
Subs
7. Conor Kilkenny (Aghamore) for Ruane (36)
22. Fintan Duffy (Crossmolina) for Byrne (45)
20. Keith Hopkins (Crossmolina) for Duffy (51)
9. Matthew Ruane (Breaffy) for Walsh (52)
ROSCOMMON
1. Shane Mannion (St. Brigid’s)
2. Jack Casey (Oran)
3. Brian Stack (St. Brigid’s)
4. Martin Flannery (Clann na nGael)
5. Fergal Lennon (Clann na nGael)
6. Evan McGrath (Boyle)
7. Eoin Fallon (St. Aidan’s)
8. Tom Butler (Padraig Pearses)
9. Ronan Raftery (Castlerea St. Kevin’s)
10. David Connaughton (Clann na nGael)
11. Luke Carty (St. Brigid’s)
12. Killian Bannon (Clann na nGael)
13. Noel Gately (Creggs)
14. Hubert Darcy (Padraig Pearses)
15. Kevin Smyth (St. Croan’s)
Subs
22. Conor Murray (St. Brigid’s) for Butler (24)
18. Jamie Fahey (Clann na nGael) for Connaughton (half time)
24. Jack Connaughton (Clann na nGael) for Fallon (40)
20. Cathal Callinan (Clannn na nGael) for Bannon (44)
21. John Gannon (Kilmore) for Darcy (54)
19. Brian Kelly (Roscommon Gaels) for Carty (54)
Referee: James Molloy (Galway)