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Galway gain revenge over Roscommon to land Connacht SFC title

Updated / Sunday, 29 May 2022 16:47
Sean Kelly holds aloft the Nestor Cup, Galway's eighth of the 21st century
Sean Kelly holds aloft the Nestor Cup, Galway's eighth of the 21st century

Galway captured their 48th Connacht SFC title and first since 2018 when they proved too strong for Roscommon in front of a crowd of 21,419 at Pearse Stadium.

The win sees them draw level with Mayo in the roll of honour in Connacht and it's their first provincial title won on home soil since 2008.

Galway scored 2-16 from play with eight players hitting the target at the Salthill venue as they prevented a fourth Connacht final loss in a row.

Galway led by 2-07 to 0-08 at the interval after a good opening half where all the scores came from open play.

The sides were level four times in the opening quarter before Galway hit the front with the opening goal of the game when Shane Walsh twice dummied to make space before drilling the ball low into the left corner of the net to lead by 1-04 to 0-04 after 17 minutes.

Roscommon, having opted to take whatever advantage was accruing from the diagonal wind, started well with Cathal Heneghan, Conor Daly, Cian McKeon and Donie Smith finding the range.

But Galway were able to pick off fine points as well with Johnny Heaney, Rob Finnerty, Walsh and Cillian McDaid shooting good efforts and they pulled further ahead after the goal with Kieran Molloy and Finnerty landing points.

Ultan Harney stemmed the flow with a point but Finnerty’s third point pushed ahead by double scores at 1-07 to 0-05 after 27 minutes.

Conor Cox and Enda Smith reduced the margin with Galway temporarily down to 14 men after Molloy was black-carded for pulling down Ciaráin Murtagh but just when Roscommon seemed poised to finish the half strongly, the Tribesmen struck for their second goal.

Walsh drifted out the field with Molloy off and after McDaid took it on Finnerty’s shot for a point from the left came back off the right post and Patrick Kelly, who twice hit the net against Leitrim, was quickest to react, gathering the ball before drop-kicking it to the roof of the net.

Harney’s second point reduced the margin to 2-07 to 0-08 at the break but left Roscommon with a lot to do after the restart.

Points from Heaney and Comer, with Conor Cox responding for Roscommon, meant that Galway outscored them by 1-03 to 0-02 while down a man.

They took charge when Molloy returned, running the ball from deep and the scores flowed with Comer landing three in the third quarter and Finnerty took his haul to 0-05 by the 53rd minute as Galway led by 2-14 to 0-12.

Walsh and Diarmuid Murtagh swapped points and after Walsh got Galway’s first score from a placed ball with a 45 after 58 minutes, Roscommon hit back with a point from the impressive Harney and then a goal from Conor Daly when he fisted home a pass from Diarmuid Murtagh.

They reduced the margin to 2-16 to 1-14 with seven minutes remaining but they were unable to catch the Tribesmen and now head into the qualifiers in two weeks with Diarmuid Murtagh getting a consolation goal in the sixth and final minute of injury-time.

Galway: Connor Gleeson; Liam Silke, Seán Kelly, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh, John Daly, Cillian McDaid (0-01); Paul Conroy (0-01), Matthew Tierney; Kieran Molloy (0-01), Damien Comer (0-03), Johnny Heaney (0-02); Rob Finnerty (0-05), Patrick Kelly (1-00), Shane Walsh (1-06, 0-02 '45, 0-01f).

Subs: Niall Daly for Tierney (59), Finnian Ó Laoí for Comer (65), Owen Gallagher for Finnerty (70), Paul Kelly for Patrick Kelly (70), Cathal Sweeney for Molloy (74).

Roscommon: Colm Lavin; Brian Stack, Conor Daly (1-01), David Murray; Conor Hussey, Niall Daly, Ronan Daly; Ultan Harney (0-03), Eddie Nolan; Cathal Heneghan (0-01), Enda Smith (0-01), Ciaráin Murtagh (0-01); Cian McKeon (0-01), Donie Smith (0-02, 0-01f), Conor Cox (0-05, 0-03f).

Subs: Niall Kilroy for Heneghan (half-time), Richard Hughes for Murray (47), Diarmuid Murtagh (1-01, 0-01f) for Donie Smith (48), Andrew Glennon for McKeon (58), Keith Doyle for Nolan (58).

Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan).

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