Richard Hughes was the hero for Roscommon when he kicked the match winning point in the fourth minute of stoppage time to maintain Davy Burke's perfect start to the Allianz League with a dramatic 0-09 to 0-08 win at Pearse Stadium.
Roscommon came from four points behind midway through the second-half to shoot five unanswered points and claim their first league win away to Galway in 20 years.
Galway, having opted to play with the breeze, led by 0-05 to 0-03 at the break after a poor opening half where both teams struggled to go forward
Roscommon laid down an early marker with points from Daire Cregg and Ciaran Lennon after a five-minute stoppage when All Star Damian Comer was stretchered from the field after picking up what seemed a serious leg injury.
Comer’s replacement Dessie Conneely got Galway’s opening point with a free after 14 minutes and after Matthew Tierney levelled after a good passing movement, he edged them in front for the first time with another free after 25 minutes.
Dylan McHugh and Cillian McDaid went forward to score before Diarmuid Murtagh cut the gap to 0-05 to 0-03 at the break when he turned and scored.
Galway struck for the opening two scores after the break with Johnny Heaney hitting the target and Conneely tapping over his third free before Diarmuid Murtagh responded with a neat point which he floated over from 30 metres to leave Galway leading by 0-07 to 0-04 after 44 minutes.
Former All Star Ian Burke, an interval substitute, extended Galway’s lead after 51 minutes before Roscommon responded with Ben O’Carroll and Ciaráin Murtagh shooting points to reduce the margin to 0-08 to 0-06 with 13 minutes remaining.
The large Roscommon following in the crowd of around 7,000 were on their feet when O’Carroll cut the gap to the minimum seven minutes from time before Diarmuid Murtagh kept his nerve to level the game with a 25 metre free two minutes later.
Both sides had chances to win it in the dying moments but it was Roscommon who countered from deep and Hughes maintained his composure to shoot the winner from 20 metres on the right and snatch a dramatic win to bolster Burke’s excellent start in charge.
Galway: Connor Gleeson; Jack Glynn, Eoghan Kelly, Neil Mulcahy; Dylan McHugh (0-01), John Daly, Seán Kelly; Matthew Tierney (0-01), Paul Conroy; Cillian McDaid (0-01); Damian Comer, Peter Cooke; Paul Kelly, Eoin Finnerty, Johnny Heaney (0-01).
Subs: Dessie Conneely (0-03, 3f) for Comer (11), Ian Burke (0-01) for P Kelly (half-time), Owen Gallagher for Finnerty (51), Matthew Barrett for Heaney (65).
Roscommon: Conor Carroll; Eoin McCormack, Conor Daly, Conor Hussey; Niall Daly, Brian Stack, Robbie Dolan; Tadhg O’Rourke, Keith Doyle; Dylan Ruane, Enda Smith, Ciarán Lennon (0-01); Daire Cregg (0-01), Conor Cox, Diarmuid Murtagh (0-03, 1f).
Subs: Ciaráin Murtagh (0-01) for Cox (half-time), Ben O’Carroll (0-02) for Ruane (47), David Murray for McCormack (47), Richard Hughes (0-01) for Doyle (51), Colin Walsh for Murray (65-68 blood), Paul Carey for D Murtagh (72).
Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan).
