Sport

Walsh gives Mayo another chance

CONNACHT MFC FINAL Mayo 0-8 Roscommon 1-5: AIDAN WALSH was the Mayo hero as he converted an injury-time free to salvage a draw…

Mon Jul 20 2009 - 01:00

CONNACHT MFC FINAL Mayo 0-8 Roscommon 1-5:AIDAN WALSH was the Mayo hero as he converted an injury-time free to salvage a draw at the end of a very poor Connacht final at Pearse Stadium yesterday.

Roscommon kicked 15 wides to Mayo’s three and should have wrapped up the issue long before Walsh had the opportunity to force a replay.

Roscommon looked to be in trouble when they trailed by 1-3 to 0-5 at half-time having shot 10 wides while playing with the wind.

Mayo got a big break after 20 minutes when Roscommon failed to deal with a high free from Brian Ruttledge and Cillian O’Connor pounced to fist the ball to the net.

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That wiped out Roscommon’s early lead which was achieved by points from Ciarán Murtagh, Cathal Shine and Niall Kilroy.

Shine added a free from 50 yards to one he earlier pointed from 70 yards and Kilroy landed another free to reduce the deficit to the minimum at the break.

Mayo, who hammered Galway in the semi-final, managed just two points when they had the wind in the second half, with Danny Kirby getting a good effort four minutes after the restart.

But Niall Kilroy levelled for Roscommon after 43 minutes and then substitute Colin Compton put them in front six minutes from the end. Roscommon should have wrapped up the issue after that and they paid the price when Walsh ended a 27-minute barren spell to send the game to a replay.

MAYO: M Slingermann; M Walsh, K Rogers, D gavin; C Crowe, S McDermott, C Charlton; D Kirby (0-1), A Corduff; A Farrell, D Coen, F Durkin; B Ruttledge, A Walsh (0-3, all frees), C O'Connor (1-1). Subs: J McDonnell for Durkin (half-time), I Costello for Coen (43 mins), J Carney for Ruttledge (37 mins), B Walsh for Carney (56 mins).

ROSCOMMON: N Connaughton; P Brogan, D Butler, P Feeney; D Connellan, N Daly, C Cafferky; C Shine (0-2, both frees), S McNulty; J Carty, B Carthy, S Leydon; N Kilroy (0-3, all frees), D Qualter, C Murtagh (0-2, one free). Subs: S Oates for Carthy (half-time), D Clabby for Leydon (43 mins), C Compton (0-1)for Murtagh (48 mins), M Sweeney for Feeney (55 mins), A Feehily for McNulty (56 mins).

Referee: E O'Grady(Leitrim).