Mayo record comfortable sunshine win in Roscommon

CONNACHT SFC SEMI-FINAL

Mayo 1-15

Roscommon 0-13

Hyde Park

(Attendance 13,967)

MAYO cantered into the Connacht final under sunny skies in Roscommon today as the disappointing home side faded in the second half. There had only been a point between the teams at half time, but Mayo were much superior after the resumption and never looked like missing out on a trip to the seaside in Salthill for the provincial final in two weeks time.

In truth, the result was deided well before the end as the visibly tiring Roscommon men failed to land any significant punch on Kevin McStay's charges who gained revenge for last year's championship reversal in Castlebar.

Mayo began explosively with Aidan O'Shea and Tommy Conroy winning direct ball into the full-forward line and Ryan O'Donoghue causing trouble in a deeper role. O'Shea blasted home a goal after seven minutes when he was picked out by Fergal Boland and the big attacker carried the ball across the square before slamming it home past Conor Carroll.

Kevin McStay's men were playing all the football and led 1-2 to 0-1 after 12 minutes but Roscommon were growing into the game with Diarmuid Murtagh kicking excellently and Daire Cregg cutting the gap to a single point.

Mayo were becoming more static in attack as the half progressed and had to rely on O'Donoghue's ingenuity for scores as Roscommon drew level when Murtagh kicked his side's seventh point in the 31^st minute.

However, the guests went to the changing room with a one-point advantage after points from Boland and O'Donoghue sandwiched a single from the home side's Daire Cregg.

Cregg was on target again two minutes into the second half to level things up, but that was as good as it got for Davy Burke's men. Tommy Conroy rose a huge cheer from the visiting supporters when he kicked a point from the right wing and soon the guests were beginning to pull away.

O'Shea was very prominent and he punched over a point after 47 minutes when O'Donoghue's goal effort was saved by O'Carroll. Conor Loftus then came off the bench to kick a point with his first touch and all Roscommon had to offer was a long-range classic from Niall Daly.

The first half promise of the home side had evaporated in the sunshine and Mayo were on their way to the beach.

The green and red were gobbling up breaks around the middle and Roscommon had little or no fuel available to launch a comeback. They had fleeting sniffs of goal when Enda Smith and Eoin McCormack lashed shots towards the net, but both flew off target.

The last few minutes were a procession and although the gap was just five at the end, the victory was comprehensive and deserved.

MAYO

C Reape; J Coyne, R Brickenden, S Callinan; P Durcan (0-1), D McBrien, D McHugh; S Coen, M Ruane; J Flynn, R O'Donoghue (0-7, 3f, 1m), J Carney; A O'Shea (1-1), T Conroy (0-2), F Boland (0-2)

Subs; E Hession for McHugh (HT), C Loftus (0-2) for Durcan (48), B Tuohy for O'Shea (61), P Towey for Flynn (64), P O'Hora for Coyne (66)

ROSCOMMON

C Carroll; D Murray, B Stack, N Higgins; N Daly (0-1), R Fallon, E McCormack (0-1); E Smith, U Harney; D Ruane, D Cregg (0-4, 2f), R Daly; B O'Carroll (0-1), D Murtagh (0-5, 2f), D Smith (0-1)

Subs; P Gavin for Murray (28, inj), T O'Rourke for Ruane (50), S Cunnane for R Daly (61), C Cox for D Smith (64), J Fitzpatrick for Harney (66)

Ref: S Hurson (Tyrone)