By Declan Rooney
Roscommon 1-10 Galway 1-14
Galway turned a seven-point half-time deficit into a 1-14 to 1-10 victory over Roscommon at a windswept Hyde Park to renew their chances of remaining in Division 2.
Damien Comer's goal ten minutes after the break lifted the Tribesmen, who didn’t deserve to trail by 1-08 to 0-04 at the break after Diarmuid Murtagh's goal.
Peadar Og O Griofa landed six second half points for the Tribesmen, who will need a win against Kildare to be certain of their second-tier status for next year.
Saturday night's win for Kildare meant that the bottom of the division became gridlocked, yet after this Galway win there is not much more known about the make up of next season's Division 2.
Galway can still be promoted or relegated; Kildare and Westmeath can still both avoid the drop, while no team is certain of a year in the top flight.
There was little surprise before throw in when Kevin Walsh named three of Corofin's successful All-Ireland club winners in his starting line up. Liam Silke, Gary Sice and Micheal Lundy were all drafted in by the Galway boss, as Paul and Adrian Varley as well as Shane Walsh were jettisoned.
Playing with the advantage of the very strong wind in the first half Roscommon needed to build a healthy cushion before the break, but it was the Tribesmen that got off to a flying start as a free from Paul Conroy and Patrick Sweeney's point put them two points up.
Roscommon needed a quick settler and it came form a Ciaran Murtagh free in the ninth minute, and his brother Diarmuid added a free from the other side to level matters in the 13th minute.
Enda Smith was a late introduction to John Evans' side and he repaid his manager's faith with a great score in the 14th minute when he got out in front of Johnny Duane.
Sean Denvir kept Galway in touch with a battling point from play, but a four-point burst from the home side in five minutes put them 0-7 to 0-3 up.
Seven minutes from time Galway were handed a great chance to pull within a point when Damien Comer was hauled down inside the area – David Murray was black carded for the offence – but Peadar Og O Griofa's penalty was well saved by Darren O'Malley.
Comer gave Galway some solace when he somehow kicked the resultant 45 into the teeth of the wind, but a minute from the break he saw another goal bound effort batted out by O'Malley.
And it proved crucial, as Roscommon countered and Diarmuid Murtagh flicked Cathal Shine's long delivery to the net past the stranded Manus Breathnach and Smith added another point to give Roscommon a 1-8 to 0-4 half-time lead.
Playing into the wind was tough for Galway in the first-half, but it also took them some time to adjust to the conditions in the other direction. However after two poor wides, Peadar Og O Griofa landed a 40thminute free and fisted over a point soon after to put five between the sides.
Conroy landed a long range free to retain Galway's momentum, and they hit a crucial score in 45th minute when Garreth Bradshaw picked out Comer with a long ball and the Annaghdown man hit the net with a low finish.
Galway were on the crest of a wave then and O Griofa pulled them level a minute later with a brilliant free from the right sideline.
And once they hit the front there was no stopping Galway, who kicked the last six points of the game to take an easy win in the end.
Galway: M Breathnach (0-01 for Roscommon); J Duane, F Hanley, C Sweeney; L Silke, G Bradshaw, G O'Donnell; F O Curraoin, P Conroy (0-03, 0-03f); G Sice (0-01), P Sweeney (0-01), S Denvir (0-01); M Lundy, D Comer (1-02, 0-01'45), P O Griofa (0-06, 0-04f).
Subs: S Walsh for Denvir (61), A Varley for P Sweeney (64), M Martin for Lundy (68).
Roscommon: D O'Malley; S McDermott, N Carty, N Collins; D Murray, D Keenan, C Daly; C Shine (0-01), K Higgins; N Daly, C Murtagh (0-02, 0-01f), E Smith (0-02); D Murtagh (1-04, 0-02f), S Kilbride, C Cregg.
Subs: C Cafferkey for Collins (3-13 mins blood), D Ward for Higgins (h-t), M Healy for C Shine (51), R Stack for Smith (61), C Connolly for Cregg (65).
Referee: Michael Duffy (Sligo).
