Tobin-powered Roscommon leave Galway in losers' limbo

There is probably just one consolation for Galway after yesterday's shock loss to Roscommon in the Connacht football semi-final. Any county would have struggled to beat Roscommon with the form they showed in Tuam.

This was Roscommon with 10 per cent extra free, producing a performance to rank with their greatest performances. A place in the Connacht final against either Mayo or Sligo awaits them, a place in the second round of the losers' group awaits John O'Mahony's men.

For manager John Tobin, it must have been a bizarre mix of emotions. Some of his best days for his native Galway and his local club were in Tuam stadium, and yet here he was orchestrating the downfall of so many friends and admirers.

"I do feel caught between a rock and a hard place," he said, "and that's being honest. I have great affinity with Galway and I've actually coached some of these players in the past. But of course I'd like to win a Connacht title for Roscommon now because it has been 10 years waiting for them."

The 2-12 to 0-14 victory was built on 15 players who played without limits and then three more were sprung from the bench. Any one of a half dozen could have walked away with the definitive performance award, starting with Francie Grehan at centre back, or the young Seamus O'Neill at midfield, or the inspiring substitute, Stephen Lohan.

This win goes some way towards avenging their narrow loss to Galway in 1998 in the Connacht final and perhaps even more so the shock defeat to Leitrim last year.

For manager O'Mahony, however, there would be no excuses. "You can take about chances we had and chances we missed, but if you add it all up then Roscommon did deserve to come out as winners. But we just weren't sparking. When we got level again in the second half I had the feeling we could go on and win from there, but they got the crucial scores. But I wouldn't isolate any particular problem. When we win we win together and when we lose we lose together."