“The only time to be ahead is at the final whistle,” as Brian Cody once famously said, and the Roscommon Garda team ensured just that with a commanding performance in Cavan last week, one that powered them straight into the All-Ireland Intermediate final following an emphatic win over MTM Engineering of Armagh.
Speaking following the win, team coach and Longford-based Garda Conor Foley assessed the panel’s chances in this week’s upcoming All Ireland.
“We’re really looking forward to the final, and if the lads perform like they’re capable off, we’ll have a right good chance,” he said. “This group of lads are quite experienced; they’re fine footballers so we’ll do our best and hopefully come out on the right side of the result.”
The referee on the evening was Longford’s David Reynolds. Pic by Inter-Firms GAA Connaught
The foundation for the Garda victory was laid in an impressive first-half performance, where they struck four goals.
Three of those goals came from Tiernan Murphy, the first arriving inside the opening 40 seconds.
Although the game began in open fashion, MTM Engineering were left to rue their missed chances, hitting four wides within the first eight minutes.
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The missed wides were to prove costly for Armagh as Roscommon’s Tiernan Murphy went on to secure his second goal on the nine minute mark following excellent build-up play from club mate Shane O’Malley.
Points from Paul Mannion and Darragh Hussey stretched the Garda lead to eight by the 12th minute.
Roscommon Garda were firmly in control across the field with their vigilant defence swiftly closing off MTM Engineering’s lines of attack. Hussey added a third goal as the match moved into the second quarter, leaving the Roscommon side in a commanding position and dominating the closing stages of the first half.
At the 25th minute, sharp shooter Tiernan Murphy completed his hat-trick with another goal.
As the half time whistle blew, the scoreboard had Roscommon Garda at 4-05 and MTM Engineering at 0-02.
To their credit, the Armagh side showed no signs of surrender; and if anything were buoyed by the introduction of Eoghan O’Neill at the start of the second half.
O’Neill’s impact on the field was immediate securing four points in the opening six minutes, including a two-pointer, however his scoring surge quickly came to an end as the Garda defence tightened up to curb his influence.
In the end, the Roscommon Garda finished strongly, adding five points to seal the win and secure a deserved place in next Thursday’s All-Ireland final.
The team will face Limerick’s Aughinish Alumina in St Patrick’s GAA for what is anticipated to be another gripping 60 minutes.
The Roscommon Garda team: Colin Goldrick, Seán Peyton, Shane O’Malley, Tomas Connaughton, Thomas Taylor, Paddy Fallon, Michael Dwyer (scored 0-1), Colin Compton (scored 0-2), Niall Keenan (scored 0-1), Keith Muldoon, Paul Mannion (scored 0-2), Darragh Hussey (scored 1-1), Tiernan Murphy (scored 3-2), Graham Petit (scored 0-1), Gearoid Ennis.
Subs: Gerard Mullarkey, Tom Currid, David Charles (scored 0-2), Gerard Clogher, Matthew Cassin, Ronan O’Meara, Gary Murphy, Keith O’Brien, David Buckley, Peter Vesey, John Hanley and David Charles.
The Roscommon Garda team that won the Connaught final. Pic by Inter-Firms GAA Connaught