SHANE WALSH’S 44TH-MINUTE goal proved decisive for the Roscommon minors as they overcame Sligo 1-5 to 1-2 to win the Connacht Minor Football Championship at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence in Bekan, Co. Mayo.
The game’s low scoring was to be expected in biblical weather conditions, Storm Bella heaving and spluttering down on the last GAA final of 2020 as Emmet Durney boys won their first minor title in eight years — or a first since 2017 at the U17 age grade.
Sligo, who were chasing their first minor title since 1968, might have felt at times as though they were waiting just as long for a score: they didn’t register for a full 55 minutes before a late surge that saw them finish three points short.
With the wind and rain on their backs, Roscommon opened up a 0-4 to 0-0 lead at the turnaround, Oisín Cregg, skipper Eoin Colleran and Conor Hand (x2) firing over to give their side a commanding lead in the conditions.
The Rossies fended Sligo off in the third quarter, maintaining their healthy advantage until the imperious Hand fed Walsh for the defining goal after Sligo lost possession in their half-back line.
Hand added his third point before Roscommon ostensibly declared at 1-5, eight points to the good. Canice Mulligan and substitute Simon McKeon finally replied for Sligo with minutes remaining and when Dylan Walsh’s 59th-minute free found its way to the net, they sniffed a chance.
But Roscommon held firm to claim provincial honours, the last of their kind on the GAA calendar after what has been a difficult and remarkable year.
Roscommon: D. Farrell; M. Sugrue, C. Keogh, L. Walsh; C. Neary, A. McManus, E. Ward; O. Cregg (0-1), J. Greene; S. Walsh (1-0), R. Conlon, C. Hand (0-3); A. Shannon, E. Colleran (0-1f), D. Gately. Subs: T. Lennon for Shannon (HT), B. Nugent for Gately (39′), D. Coleman for McManus (55′), D. O’Beirne for Ward (60′).
Sligo: J. Lundy; L. Casserly, R. Kelly, J. Kiernan; R. Chambers, C. O’Reilly, M. Heraghty; D. O’Boyle, B.Byrne; D. Foy, L. Marren, C. Mulligan (0-1); D. Walsh (1-0f), C. Oates, A. Gallagher. Subs: S. McKeon (0-1) for Kiernan (43′), B. Duffy for Oates (47′), C. Mitchell for Byrne (50′), T. Langan for Kelly (55′).
Referee: P. Guckian (Leitrim).
Surely he shouldn’t be admitting this?
@Declan Snow: 100% should receive a one match ban. For doing it and even more for being so open and proud of it.
Why would you come out and admit doing this…!!
1 1 in Germany with 5 mins to go and every Liverpool player should go down holding their leg.
@Dan: no point doing that when it’s 3-1 to Bayern you gimp
Did he also reveal that water is wet? Cue the outrage. Even though every team does it
Iv said it before if a players goes down and match has to be stopped, they should have to go off for a minimum period of time say 3 minutes. See how quickly all this would stop.
@Cormac Flanagan: and what about genuine cases? Want the oppositions star striker off for 3 minutes? “Accidentally stand on his toes at a corner….
@Ted Logan: if it’s genuine then he will require time for treatment anyway. Or be substituted. And if the star striker gets targeted it’s up to the ref/VAR to sort it out.
Football players fake injury , shocker
That game was like playing fifa being a goal up at the end and just passing about killing time at the same time pissing off the other player
Ramos is still a (unt though right?
Good thing Bielsa didn’t say this. 200k find incoming
Well , there’s a surprise . He won’t have any bad feelings so if Liverpool are ahead and develop a lot of cramp ! How does these guys become managers ? A silly admittance . Half time ….. hope next game is better than the anfield one .
Kick em out of the competition
@Hardly Normal: Harsh.
@James Clancy: I know ya but still
This is worse than Beckham gettin the yellow card