Mighty minors complete three-in-a-row

CONNACHT MINOR FOOTBALL FINAL

Mayo 0-14

Roscommon 0-10

Hyde Park

THERE might have been a power outage in the Hyde Park press-box before the match but that certainly didn't impact the young footballers who provided the on-field entertainment for the enthusiastic crowd who turned out to see an enthralling provincial final.

Mayo won their third provincial minor title in succession and 43^rd in total thanks to a display built on hard-work and effort. In truth, the champions were put to the pin of their collar by the home side for three-quarters of the match but they eventually wore down the Roscommon resistance and were clear winners at the end.

The sides were level, 0-5 apiece, after an intriguing first half. Mayo found it very hard to get their forward line working effectively in the face of tigerish and well-structured Roscommon defending. David Heaney and Tom Reilly's charges weren't as swift as they would have liked moving the ball forward and that gave the home side time to swarm in front of them.

The green and red employed their well-rehearsed high-press when Roscommon had possession, but the home boys used the ball very well and when they kicked long into corner-forward Dean Casey they were getting a lot of joy.

Indeed, Rosommon had the only goal chance of the half after 14 minutes when Stephen Tighe found room and blasted for the net, but Nathan Roddy batted it out.

Mayo continued to work tirelessly after half time, and while Roscommon were playing fine football their forward line began to malfunction in the face of dogged Mayo defending.

A huge moment arrived after 40 minutes when Kobe McDonald drilled over a free from all of 58-yards to put Mayo a point clear, 0-8 to 0-7, and moments later Oisin Deane doubled the advantage when he intercepted the kick-out and split the sticks. Andrew Quinn put three between them a minute later and Mayo were always in front from then on.

Joe Forry came off the bench to make a big impression and when he was hauled down by goalkeeper Patrick Gaynor after 51 minutes the guilty party was sin-binned and Mayo kicked for home. Three Kobe McDonald frees followed before the end and that was the end of the affaair.

Mayo had fine performers all over the field with David Hurley, Oisin Deane and Tom Hession among the more prominent.

A full match report and aftermatch reaction will be carried in Tuesday's Mayo News