Late Roscommon goal blitz blows Leitrim away in final ten minutes

The optimism generated by Leitrim's battling draw with Sligo just seven days ago was swept away by a tidal wave of Roscommon goals in the final five minutes of Friday's Electric Ireland Connacht Minor Football Championship clash in Dr Hyde Park, the home side incredibly running out double score winners in a game that was level just six minutes from time.

Leitrim led by a point with 11 minutes to go, coming from three points down at the break to take the lead and leave the home side wobbling but once Niall Heneghan palmed the ball to the Green & Gold net after St Michael's Ruadhan Henry did extremely well to break a tackle before feeing Ruairi Kilcline, his lofted pass palmed to the net to start off an avalanche of goals.

Sub John Curran quickly added a point before Roscommon scored their third goal from a palmed effort, this time Kilcline finishing after a Heneghan pass and with Leitrim's resistance well and truly broken, the home side ran in two more goals from Kilcline and & Heneghan to complete a victory that scarcely looked possible five minutes earlier.

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Roscommon made the early running but even with a lacklustre performance, Leitrim were holding their own and were well set to push on for victory in the final ten minutes as four points on the bounce from James Gilheaney, sub Josh Maye and two Paul Honeyman frees had a buoyant Leitrim in control before Roscommon's deadly late goal blast.

Truth be told, Leitrim struggled to replicate the intensity and drive they showed against Sligo the previous week and were well below what they are capable of. Whether that was down to Roscommon going man to man on Leitrim in contrast with Sligo's defensive system or maybe the burden of expectations that were raised by the good showing against the Yeatsmen and the fact that Roscommon had lost twice in two outings, it wasn't what Leitrim were expecting.

There was always a feeling that Karl Foley's side might threaten a goal but apart from points from Paul Honeyman and Adam Gethins that were driven over the bar, Roscommon wasted far more goal opportunities over the course of the game although it couldn't be said that the home side were overly dominant.

Roscommon's ability to drive through the centre of Leitrim's defence thanks to surging runs from Lee Taylor and John McGuinness, son of former Leitrim and St Mary's star Ollie, were never truly capitalised on while Leitrim's inability to convert some good chances in the first half left them cursing their luck.

For all that, and the undoubted harshness of the final scoreline, this was another missed opportunity for Leitrim - they didn't play well, as they admitted themselves, but were within touching distance of victory before Roscommon's late goal blast. Sort out whatever malaise affected them and they'll be a much better proposition.

Nevertheless, the defeat does damage Leitrim's hopes of reaching the A Championship semi-finals - with games against Mayo and Galway to come, Leitrim lie behind Roscommon in the battle for the top three with their game against Sligo perhaps deciding the issue unless the Green & Gold can come up with an unexpected victory over the top two to upset the odds.

Paul Honeyman opened the scoring after just 15 seconds, collecting a low ball in from midfield and turning sharply to fire just over the bar. Roscommon replied a minute later, Niall Heneghan (who did so much damage for Dunmore CS against Ballinamore CS in the Connacht Final) firing over from 60 yards.

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Keeper Sean Carolan Morris, who injured his ankle in the warm-up that eventually saw him replaced at halftime by Liam Crowe, made a superb save to deny Jamie Betts a goal while Roscommon missed a chance in slightly bizarre circumstances, a Roscommon player breaking through a tackle to score only for the free to be called just as he kicked with Heneghan missing the resulting free.

A foul on Brian Keaney saw Honeyman convert a free while the raiding Lee Taylor saw him fierce drive blocked by Eanna McNamara on five minutes. Roscommon were missing chances, two wides followed by a Heneghan palmed effort that was kept out, although Heneghan did pop over a free after a foul on Eoghan Murray who pounced on the loose ball.

Honeyman and Heneghan swapped frees with both teams missing good chances, Keaney (2) and Kyle Russell missing chances before Heneghan edged the home side in front on 22 minutes. Another Honeyman free tied the scores but Roscommon looked set to take control when John McGuinness fired over a nice point before a blistering McGuinness run ended up with a lofted pass to Heneghan who fisted the ball to the net on 24 minutes.

Leitrim almost had an instant response but Kilmore's Aaron Cox made a good save from Honeyman although the Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins clubman fired over a free before driving through to score from play on 28 minutes. The last score fell to Lee Taylor who broke through a tackle to give Roscommon a 1-6 to 0-6 lead at the halftime interval.

With Liam Crowe replacing Carolan Morris, Karl Foley also threw on Jack Kelly for Keaney at the break with Joey McBrien soon joining him for Ruairi O'Rourke. Josh Maye had been introduced before halftime for David Liu Doyle and it seemed to pay off as Leitrim started to show much more intent.

Adam Gethins pointed after good work from Maye, although the Dromahair man might have seen his shot creep in under the crossbar. Dessie Wisely did extremely well to intercept a ball across the face of goal to Roscommon's Cathal McKeon, preventing a certain goal although sub John Curran did restore the three point gap when Lee Taylor's strong run came after a Leitrim attack broke down in front of the home team's goal.

As they did the previous week, Leitrim suddenly burst into lift with two points inside 60 seconds - James Gilheaney broke a tackle to swing over a long range point before a hopeful long range free saw Josh Maye do well to retain possession after the ball broke off his hand, the St Mary's man gathering, turning sharply and firing over from distance.

The equalising score came from a Honeyman free after 16 minutes and with Heneghan seeing an effort come off the crossbar and come out, Leitrim went in front on 48 minutes from another Honeyman free. The lead didn't last long as the lively McGuinness gathered a quick free and drove the ball over the Leitrim bar.

Paul Honeyman saw a long range effort fall short, Curran shot well wide for Roscommon as the game, even with eight minutes to go, looked destined to end in deadlock. However, the breakthrough came when Ruadhan Henry showed bravery and strength to burst through a tackle and break clear on goal. He offloaded to sub Ruairi Kilcline who floated a pass across the square for Niall Heneghan to palm to the net.

Curran immediately added a point as a deadlocked game now saw Leitrim trailing by four points. Jamie Betts and Heneghan combined to set up Kilcline for a third palmed Roscommon goal and from that kickout, Roscommon won the ball, McGuinness charging through the centre to leave an unmarked Kilcline with a close range finish that gave Crowe no chance.

Roscommon did lose Conor Morris to a second yellow card with Honeyman converting a free but with the game now in added time, 14 man Roscommon broke in the middle of the field, creating an overlap that ended with Heneghan blasting the ball to the Leitrim net.

Leitrim kept trying to engineer a late goal, a block on a Honeyman shot and the follow-up saved the nearest they got as Roscommon ran out convincing, if surprisingly so, winners.

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LEITRIM

Scorers: Paul Honeyman 0-9, 6f; James Gilheaney, Josh Maye & Adam Gethins 0-1 each

Team: Sean Carolan Morris, Oran Foley, Eanna McNamara, Kyle Russell, Dessie Wisely, Darragh Gardiner, Bailey McBride, Dara Greenan, James Gilheaney,  Adam Gethins, Paul Honeyman, Colm McLoughlin, Brian Keaney, David Liu Doyle, Ruairi O’Rourke. Subs: Josh Maye for Doyle (28), Liam Crowe & Jack Kelly for Carolan Morris & Keaney (HT); Joey McBrien for O’Rourke (36); Senan Bohan for Gethins (59)

ROSCOMMON

Scorers: Niall Heneghan 3-4, 3f; Ruairi Kilcline 2-0; John McGuinness 0-2; John Curran & Lee Taylor 0-1 each

Team: Aaron Cox, Colin Murray, Nikita Berzins, Ryan Hanley, Conor Morris, Eoghan Carthy, Ruadhan Henry, Jamie Betts, David Higgins, Cathal McKeon, John McGuinness, Sean McDonnell, Lee Taylor, Niall Heneghan, Eoghan Murray. Subs: John Curran for Higgins (36); Ruairi Kilcline for McKeon (43); Stephen Tighe for C Murray (58); Conor Dowling for McGuinness (59)

Referee: A Coyne (Galway)