GAA: Mayo and Roscommon must do it again after 1-12 to 2-09 draw
Tuesday 1 August 2017 22:06, UK
Mayo and Connacht champions Roscommon must meet again after playing out a poor but enjoyable 1-12 to 2-09 quarter-final game in Croke Park.
This game exploded into life early with three goals in five crazy minutes. Leading 0-02 to 0-01 after eight minutes, Fintan Cregg collected the ball before flicking it over David Clarke and the ball dipped in just under the crossbar.
The Roscommon supporters in Croke Park barely had time to finish celebrating that goal when they got a second. Ciarain Murtagh collected the ball from brother Dairmuid Murtagh before drilling the ball by Clarke.
Roscommon were actually seven points up at this point but Mayo gave the best reply with a goal of their own.
Mayo worked the ball into Lee Keegan, who had acres of space to run into as he bore down on Colm Lavin's goal. Keegan effort was half blocked by Niall McInerney but the deflection took the ball away from Lavin and into the goal.
Mayo hit six unanswered points to lead 1-07 to 2-02 as it wasn't until the 34th minute when Ciarain Murtagh registered another score for Roscommon.
Trailing 1-08 to 2-03 at half-time, Roscommon started the second half like they did the first and got two points in 90 seconds to level the game. They went back into the lead in the 47th minute when Dairmuid Murtagh punched over to leave the score at 1-08 to 2-06.
Paddy Durcan and Ciarain Murtagh traded scores and for long periods it was end-to-end stuff without the umpires troubled to raise a flag for a score.
However, with five minutes to go, Cillian O'Connor levelled the game again at 1-11 to 2-08.
Aidan O'Shea then rescued Mayo by tracking back to break up a Roscommon attack and this led to Mayo running down the field and Paddy Durcan getting his second point to put the 2016 All-Ireland finalists a point up.
In the third minute of injury time, Roscommon won a free in and with both Murtagh's off the field, Donal Smith took responsibility and he split the uprights to level the game.
Cillian O'Connor had two efforts to win it but both went wide. Mayo only scored four points in the second half and some of their kicking left a lot to be desired.
They never make it easy on their supporters following tight extra-time wins over Derry and Cork in previous qualifier rounds.
For Roscommon, they will be disappointed to be seven points up at one stage and not build on it but their supporters in the 65,746 crowd will have enjoyed the day out in Croke Park and will not be afraid of facing Mayo again.
The sides will meet again in the replay, with the date, venue and throw-in time to be confirmed.
Mayo: D Clarke, C Barrett, B Harrison, G Cafferkey, L Keegan (1-3), K Higgins, C Boyle (0-1), S O'Shea, A O'Shea, J Doherty (0-1), P Durcan (0-2), D O'Connor, K McLoughlin, C O'Connor (0-3, 0-2f), A Moran (0-2).
Subs: D Vaughan for Boyle (51), C Loftus for Moran (58), T Parsons for S O'Shea (61), S Coen for D O'Connor (65), D Drake for Doherty (71)
Roscommon: C Lavin, D Murray, N McInerney, C Devaney (0-1), J McManus, S Mullooly, S McDermott, T O'Rourke, E Smith (0-1), B Stack, N Kilroy, F Cregg (1-1), C Murtagh (1-2, 0-2f), D Murtagh (0-2, 0-1f), C Connolly.
Subs: D Smith (0-2, 0-1f) for Connolly (50), Colin Compton for C Murtagh (59), Cathal Compton for D Murtagh (63), I Kilbride for McDermott (63), R Stack for Devaney (70)
Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)
