Mayo Minors into Connacht final after four-goal thriller

Connacht Minor Championship Semi-final 

Mayo 2-13 Roscommon 2-12

Oisín McGovern in MacHale Park 

THE last kick of the game decided a four-goal thriller between Mayo and Roscommon in MacHale Park this evening.  
The winning score landed from the boot of the inspirational Tom Lydon, who shot 0-7 in a enthralling clash that could have gone either way and was level on five occasions.  
With the wind behind them, Mayo hit the ground running with their direct attacking game.  
Sean Deane’s lads raced ahead courtesy of early points from Colm Lynch, Josh Carey, Tom Lydon and Darragh Beirne.  
Roscommon’s big full-forward Ruairi Kilcline tormented the Mayo defence, landing the game’s first goal in the 19th minute goal after a long hopeful ball which two Mayo defenders failed to fend off. 
Trailing by a point at half-time, may took eleven minutes to open their account when midfielder Tiernan Egan sent in a delightful ball which bounced in front of Darragh Beirne, who fisted it past the despairing Roscommon goalie.  
Kiltane’s Josh Carey looked to have put Mayo in the driver’s seat when he raised their second green flag in the 45th minute.  
However, Roscommon shot back three unanswered points and eventually leveled with a goal from the impressive Eoghan Carty.  
Both sides went at it hell-for-leather, and extra time seemed a real possibility.  
However, three awe-inspiring scores in the last ten nine minutes from Tom Lydon were enough to make the difference as Mayo overcame their toughest test of their Connacht campaign so far.  
Read the full report, plus reaction from the Mayo camp, in Tuesday’s Mayo News.  

Mayo: Conor Meaney (Westport); James Lavelle (Belmullet), Seanie O’Reilly (Castlebar Mitchels), Yousif Coghill (Breaffy); Jamie Clarke (Bohola Moy Davitts), Rio Mortimer (Claremorris), Fionan O’Reilly (Castlebar Mitchels); Tiernan Egan (Hollymount/Carramore), Shane Cunningham (Castlebar Mitchels); Colm Lynch (0-1, Parke/Keelogues/Crimlin), Tom Lydon (0-7, 4f The Neale), Dara Neary (Parke/Keelogues/Crimlin); Darragh Beirne (1-1, Claremorris), Josh Carey (1-3, Kiltane), Senan Guilfoyle (Eastern Gaels) 
Subs: Eoin McGreal (Garrymore) for Seanie O’Reilly (34 mins); Gavin Forry (0-1) for Guilfoyle (34 mins); Sean Walsh (Killala) for Fionan O’Reilly (39 mins); Thomas Tuffy (Swinford) for Neary (51 mins); Ryan Gibbons (Castlebar Mitchels) for Carey (56 mins)  

Roscommon: Aaron Cox; Colin Murray, Nikita Berzins, Ryan Hanley (0-1); Conor Morris, Eoghan Carthy (1-1), Ruadhan Henry; Jamie Betts (0-1), David Higgins; Lee Taylor, Eoghan Murray, John McGuinness; Sean McDonnell (0-6, 2f), Ruairi Kilcline (1-2), John Curran (0-1) 
Subs: Rory Coyle for Kilcline (49 mins); Liam Naughten for Murray (55 mins); Stephen Tighe for Morris (58 mins) 

Ref: R Hynes