AFTER COMING ONTO the field just three minutes previously to make his first appearance of the season, Tony Lavin was the match-winning hero for Strokestown this afternoon in Dr. Hyde Park as his late, late winner gave the East Roscommon club their first senior county title in 20 years.
Nearly 6,000 people came to the Hyde for an eagerly awaited clash between two clubs that have been starved of success.
Strokestown hadn’t made their way back to the county decider since that 2002 final, while Boyle were competing in their first county final since 1927, having gradually built up a team packed with formidable attacking talent.
Strokestown too have been described as the coming force in Roscommon football since winning both the minor and U-21 “A” titles a decade ago, and for the first 20 minutes of this contest, all that quality came to the fore.
John McVitty / INPHO
John McVitty / INPHO / INPHO
Roscommon stars Enda and Donie Smith, both deployed in much deeper roles than usual, kicked wonderful early points, but at the other end, Ciaran Regan and Keith Murphy struck excellent points off the outside of the boot to keep Strokestown in touch.
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The tackling was ferocious and most possessions ended in turnovers, but the play kept moving from end to end at pace, with Seán Mullooly and Colm Neary carrying ball out of the Strokestown defence very effectively.
However the momentum was sapped out of things when another Roscommon forward, Boyle’s Cian McKeon, went down with a serious knee injury, and that was followed up with Strokestown centre forward Paddy Brogan suffering a suspected broken arm, leading to nine minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Boyle led by 0-6 to 0-4 going into those nine minutes but a long range free from Niall Curley and a Cathal Lavin point tied things up at half-time.
The tension was palpable throughout the third quarter when both sides were guilty of a number of unforced errors, while opportunities to open up defences were few and far between as two sweepers were the norm on both sides of the ball.
Boyle scored the only two points in that quarter but Strokestown kept coming back at them and veteran Colin Compton came good with two excellent scores from play under pressure.
Going into added time, a foul on Cathal Compton allowed Diarmuid McGann to pop over the lead score from a free, and it looked like Strokestown might hang on when Donie Smith pushed a 40 metre effort wide of the posts on the next play.
The Boyle talisman redeemed himself however when he was fouled some 55 metres out from goal in the 55th minute and duly stepped up to fire a skyscraping kick over the bar to tie the game up.
Just when everyone assumed that the full-time whistle would sound, Strokestown won the next kickout and a powerful run out of defence from Mullooly set up a long ball into Diarmuid McGann, who in turned laid it off to Tony Lavin.
Lavin, who had only just come onto the field minutes previously to make his first appearance of the season after suffering from a troublesome quad injury, held his nerve to split the posts with his weaker left foot and send his home community into delirium.
Scorers for Strokestown: Diarmuid McGann 0-4f, Colin Compton 0-2, Ciarán Regan 0-1, Keith Murphy 0-1, Niall Curley 0-1f, Cathal Lavin 0-1, Tony Lavin 0-1.
Scorers for Boyle: Donie Smith 0-5 (0-2f), Daire Cregg 0-2, Enda Smith 0-1, Cathal Feely 0-1 (45), Colin Goldrick 0-1f.
Strokestown: Niall Curley; Timmy Gibbons, Seán Mullooly, David Neary, Ciarán Regan, Colm Neary, Cathal Brogan; David Butler, Cathal Compton; Keith Murphy, Diarmuid McGann, Paddy Brogan; Shane McGinley, Colin Compton, Cathal Lavin.
Subs: Dylan Owens for Mullooly (temp, 27) Mikey Kavanagh for P Brogan (28), Michael Fallon for Murphy (56), Tony Lavin for McGinley (62).
Boyle: Robert Kearney; Luke Glennon, Conor Flanagan, Daniel Casey; Killian Cox, Tadhg McKenna, Enda Smith; Roch Hanmore, Evan McGrath; Cathal Feely, Seán Purcell, Dylan East; Daire Cregg, Donie Smith, Cian McKeon.
Subs: Eden Kerins for Purcell (blood sub, 5), Colin Goldrick for McKeon (19), Eden Kerins for Hanmore (44), Jack Moran for Flanagan (58), Mark O’Connor for Feely (60).
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Lavin the hero as late winner secures Strokestown first county title in 20 years
Strokestown 0-11
Boyle 0-10
Kevin Egan reports from Dr Hyde Park
AFTER COMING ONTO the field just three minutes previously to make his first appearance of the season, Tony Lavin was the match-winning hero for Strokestown this afternoon in Dr. Hyde Park as his late, late winner gave the East Roscommon club their first senior county title in 20 years.
Nearly 6,000 people came to the Hyde for an eagerly awaited clash between two clubs that have been starved of success.
Strokestown hadn’t made their way back to the county decider since that 2002 final, while Boyle were competing in their first county final since 1927, having gradually built up a team packed with formidable attacking talent.
Strokestown too have been described as the coming force in Roscommon football since winning both the minor and U-21 “A” titles a decade ago, and for the first 20 minutes of this contest, all that quality came to the fore.
Roscommon stars Enda and Donie Smith, both deployed in much deeper roles than usual, kicked wonderful early points, but at the other end, Ciaran Regan and Keith Murphy struck excellent points off the outside of the boot to keep Strokestown in touch.
The tackling was ferocious and most possessions ended in turnovers, but the play kept moving from end to end at pace, with Seán Mullooly and Colm Neary carrying ball out of the Strokestown defence very effectively.
However the momentum was sapped out of things when another Roscommon forward, Boyle’s Cian McKeon, went down with a serious knee injury, and that was followed up with Strokestown centre forward Paddy Brogan suffering a suspected broken arm, leading to nine minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Boyle led by 0-6 to 0-4 going into those nine minutes but a long range free from Niall Curley and a Cathal Lavin point tied things up at half-time.
The tension was palpable throughout the third quarter when both sides were guilty of a number of unforced errors, while opportunities to open up defences were few and far between as two sweepers were the norm on both sides of the ball.
Boyle scored the only two points in that quarter but Strokestown kept coming back at them and veteran Colin Compton came good with two excellent scores from play under pressure.
Going into added time, a foul on Cathal Compton allowed Diarmuid McGann to pop over the lead score from a free, and it looked like Strokestown might hang on when Donie Smith pushed a 40 metre effort wide of the posts on the next play.
The Boyle talisman redeemed himself however when he was fouled some 55 metres out from goal in the 55th minute and duly stepped up to fire a skyscraping kick over the bar to tie the game up.
Just when everyone assumed that the full-time whistle would sound, Strokestown won the next kickout and a powerful run out of defence from Mullooly set up a long ball into Diarmuid McGann, who in turned laid it off to Tony Lavin.
Lavin, who had only just come onto the field minutes previously to make his first appearance of the season after suffering from a troublesome quad injury, held his nerve to split the posts with his weaker left foot and send his home community into delirium.
Scorers for Strokestown: Diarmuid McGann 0-4f, Colin Compton 0-2, Ciarán Regan 0-1, Keith Murphy 0-1, Niall Curley 0-1f, Cathal Lavin 0-1, Tony Lavin 0-1.
Scorers for Boyle: Donie Smith 0-5 (0-2f), Daire Cregg 0-2, Enda Smith 0-1, Cathal Feely 0-1 (45), Colin Goldrick 0-1f.
Strokestown: Niall Curley; Timmy Gibbons, Seán Mullooly, David Neary, Ciarán Regan, Colm Neary, Cathal Brogan; David Butler, Cathal Compton; Keith Murphy, Diarmuid McGann, Paddy Brogan; Shane McGinley, Colin Compton, Cathal Lavin.
Subs: Dylan Owens for Mullooly (temp, 27) Mikey Kavanagh for P Brogan (28), Michael Fallon for Murphy (56), Tony Lavin for McGinley (62).
Boyle: Robert Kearney; Luke Glennon, Conor Flanagan, Daniel Casey; Killian Cox, Tadhg McKenna, Enda Smith; Roch Hanmore, Evan McGrath; Cathal Feely, Seán Purcell, Dylan East; Daire Cregg, Donie Smith, Cian McKeon.
Subs: Eden Kerins for Purcell (blood sub, 5), Colin Goldrick for McKeon (19), Eden Kerins for Hanmore (44), Jack Moran for Flanagan (58), Mark O’Connor for Feely (60).
Referee: Ollie Kelly (St. Faithleach’s)
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Dr Hyde Park GAA last gasp Roscommon