GAA
13 January 1999

ROSCOMMON LAY DOWN MARKER FOR MAYO

Roscommon 0-12 - - - - - Mayo 0-9

FBD Connacht League

John Melvin reports from Ballinlough

Roscommon, the team you can never forget about, laid down a marker for Mayo in this invigorating FBD Connacht League match at frost-bitten Ballinlough on Sunday and it is a warning Mayo will want to take with all due seriousness.  All things being equal, and, of course that does not always apply in the championship, these sides seem destined for a Connacht semi-final meeting and on the evidence provided in this match, albeit a post-Christmas cobweb shaker, Roscommon will be up for it. We tend to forget that while Mayo only went out of the championship to Galway by a lick of paint, it was Roscommon who should have won in Tuam, and were eventually dumped out of the championship by a fortuitous goal. In many ways they are similar to Mayo, as matters unfolded in this well contested game before a crowd of around 1000.  

Both teams played some very good football and both were economical, in their use of possession with few wides, but both were also guilty of some dreadful passing, but in the end it was Roscommon who had the impetus in the last five minutes to deservedly land the points. Ironically, it was Mayo who lost their momentum when the game resumed after an eight minute delay while medical attention was delivered to Roscommon half forward Tom Grehan. Grehan came out the wrong end of a tackle with Colm McMenamon, and it was confirmed after that he suffered a bad break in both tibia and fibia which would suggest he will be out for at least six months. At that point in the game Mayo were 0-7 to 0- clear, having lead at the break by 0-5 to 0-3. The introduction of a double Roscommon substitution- Fergal O"Donnell to midfield and Francis Grehan for his injured brother in the attack, made a significant impact, and Mayo never wrested back the control they had exerted on the game up to that point. Inside ten minutes Roscommon had gone from three adrift to two points up, hitting five points without reply.

Impressive Spell

It was an inspiring and impressive spell and playing key roles was their top gun Eddie Lohan along with Frankie Dolan and Francis Grehan ,who scored a superb point. Mayo had not quite accepted defeat and an excellent point from the hands from top forward, Maurice Sheridan, following by a good score form the same player from play brought Mayo back on level terms with five minutes remaining ,but it was lohan who had the final say with two points, followed by a third from his brother Stephen, to wrap up a good home win. Mayo had their best spell in that opening half, the defence doing particularly well as Roscommon's short-passing game generally led them up blind alleys.

They soon switched to the more profitable long ball later in the game but Mayo were the men doing the sweeping movement in that first half with Colm McMenamon back to his running game, and James Horan, back for his first game since the championship last year, doing well as a target man at full forward with strong support form the Mayo half back line of Costello, Conneely and Roache. In fact, Horan was first to react when full back Damien Donlon dropped David Nestor's centre and Horan's fly-kick whizzed over the bar to level the game, Eddie Lohan having got Roscommon first off the mark inside a minute with a 45. Two from Sheridan, from play and from a free, followed before Lorcan Dowd and Frankie Dolan tied the game at 0-3 each but Sheridan tacked on two more frees for Mayo who had the upper hand in the final ten minutes to lead by two at the break.

Mayo resumed on a positive note with an early second half point, Burrishoole's Seamus Brady pulling on a lose ball which fell at his feet to maintain a three point advantage until the unfortunate injury to Grehan. Mayo, who had nine of Sunday's team on duty against U.C.G. in a challenge match on Saturday, never found their way back after that, so perhaps some were a little leg weary. Alan Roche continues to make an impact on the half back line and Fergal Costello is back to his best while Kevin Cahill also had a good game as did Kenneth Mortimer. Pat Holmes looked a little sluggish but this was essentially his first game of the new year while Pat Fallon and David Heaney never really got to terms with the problems at midfield. James Nallen was slotted in at centre forward but he never really looked comfortable in this position while for effort Seamus Brady, Colm McMenamon, James Horan in the first half, David Nestor and top forward Maurice Sheridan could not be faulted. Gay Sheerin will be encouraged by the displays of Ross O'Callaghan, Clifford McDonald, Denis Whyte, Derek Allen, Eddie Lohan, Lorcan Dowd, Frankie Dolan, Fergal O'Donnell and Francis Grehan.

Roscommon: R. Lennon, R. Owens, D. Donlon, D. Whyte, R. O'Callaghan, C. McDonald, M. Towey, J. Gillooly, D. Allen (0-1); C. Coneally, T. Grehan, E. Lohan (0-6); L. Dowd (0-1); S. Lohan (0-1) F. Dolan (0-2). Subs: A. Nolan for Owens, F. O'Donnell for Gilooly, F. Grehan (0-1) for T. Grehan (inj).

Mayo: P. Burke, K. Mortimer K. Cahill, P. Holmes, F. Costello, A. Roche, N. Connelly, P. Fallon, D. Heaney, M Sheridan (0-7); J. Nallen, D. Nestor, S. Brady (0-1); J. Horan (0-1); C. McMenamon. Ref: P. Conway (Sligo).

BREAFFY LEAD THE WAY