Mayo are the Electric Ireland Connacht Minor Football Champions for the third year in a row after edging out their neighbours Roscommon in a hugely competitive provincial final at Dr. Hyde Park. The champions shaded the crucial moments in the contest and hit form at crucial patches which ultimately proved to be the vital ingredients in a well deserved victory.
In the first half, the signs were there that this would be an arm-wrestle of a contest from start to finish, no side went more than one point ahead in the first half, and both teams were made to work very hard for all of their scores.
24 May 2024; Shay McGuinness of Roscommon in action against Daithí Butler of Mayo during the Connacht GAA Football Minor Championship final match between Mayo and Roscommon at Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile
Mayo hit the first score through Oisín Deane after two minutes of play before Dean Casey opened his account to equalise for Roscommon on five minutes. Evan Walsh and Dara Curran traded scores before the Rossies had the first big goal chance of the day, as Dean Casey brilliantly used an advantage set up Stephen Tighe but his left footed shot was parried away by Mayo keeper Nathan Roddy, with Curran slotting the resulting free to edge Roscommon ahead at the tail end of the first quarter.
20 nóim, #ROSvMAY
Craobh Peile Mionúir @ElectricIreland - Cluiche Ceannais Chonnacht 🏆🏐@RoscommonGAA 0-03@MayoGAA 0-04
Cúilín álainn ag Kobe McDonald do Mhaigh Eo!
McDonald knows where the posts are!#GAABEO #ThisisMajor @ElectricIreland pic.twitter.com/B4bPFjnnoS— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) May 24, 2024
Mayo responded to this with their best spell of the first half, as two points in a minute from Conor Moriarty and Kobe McDonald put them back into the driving seat. An equaliser from Alan Conroy followed in the 24th minute before another McDonald free nudged Mayo ahead as half time approached, but a stunner off the outside of the right boot by Stephen Tighe right on the half time whistle sent both teams in deadlocked at the interval at 0-5 each.
30+1 nóim, #ROSvMAY
Craobh Peile Mionúir @ElectricIreland - Cluiche Ceannais Chonnacht 🏆🏐@RoscommonGAA 0-05@MayoGAA 0-05
Scór an chluiche go dtí seo ó Stephen Tighe!
Important score for Roscommon at the close of the first half.#GAABEO #ThisisMajor @ElectricIreland pic.twitter.com/oLIDZwYUfg— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) May 24, 2024
The second half exploded into life with three beautiful scores in a 5 minute spell. First Dara Curran curled one over off his left. Oisín Deane responded with a score just as eye-catching, before Dean Casey hit a beauty to push Roscommon back ahead. However Mayo then hit four unanswered scores from Evan Walsh, Kobe McDonald, Oisín Deane and substitute Andrew Quinn to move 0-10 0-7 ahead by the 41st minute.
34 nóim, #ROSvMAY
Craobh Peile Mionúir @ElectricIreland - Cluiche Ceannais Chonnacht 🏆🏐@RoscommonGAA 0-06@MayoGAA 0-06
Scór álainn ó Oisín Deane do Mhaigh Eo!
The sides are level again!#GAABEO #ThisisMajor @ElectricIreland pic.twitter.com/QDWLd2jtfH— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) May 24, 2024
Dean Casey broke the Mayo momentum before Darragh Devaney shot another point over when a goal was certainly on the cards, but the Rossies were certainly coming back into the contest. In response to this, substitute Joe Forry clipped over a score and then Roscommon goalkeeper Patrick Gaynor was caught on the ball by Forry minutes later and in his panic he tackled the Mayo man to the ground and was given a black card.
Mayo kicked on from here, with McDonald slotting three frees in a row to push the champions 5 points clear by the 57th minute, and ultimately out of reach for Roscommon. David Hurley was named Electric Ireland Player of the Match for an outstanding performance in the half back line.
Mayo Scorers: Kobe McDonald (0-6, 5f), Oisín Deane (0-3), Evan Walsh (0-2, 1f), Andrew Quinn (0-1), Conor Moriarty (0-1), Joe Forry (0-1).
Mayo: Nathan Roddy; Conor Coghill, Tom Hession (c), Daithí Butler; David Hurley, Mark Noonan, Mark Sheeran; Josh Moyles, Owen Loughney; Harry McHale, Kobe McDonald, Dylan Flynn; Evan Walsh, Oisín Deane, Conor Moriarty. Substitutes Used: Andrew Quinn, Joe Forry.
Roscommon Scorers: Dean Casey (0-4, 1f), Dara Curran (0-3, 2f), Alan Conroy (0-1), Darragh Devaney (0-1), Stephen Tighe (0-1).
Roscommon: Patrick Gaynor; Liam Finneran, Gordon Casey, Colin Murray; Eoin Collins, Keelan Kelly (c), Declan Kennedy; Darragh Devaney, Cathal Enright; Joe McKeon, Dara Curran, Alan Conroy; Stephen Tighe, Shay McGuinness, Dean Casey. Substitutes Used: Martin Connaughton, Michael Brooks, Samuel Malec Hannon, Seán McDonnell.
