Galway suffer Connacht U20 Football Championship semi-final defeat to Roscommon

The Tribesmen were aiming to reach the Connacht U-20 Football Final for the first time since 2024, but Roscommon’s win has set up a meeting with Mayo in the provincial final next Wednesday at Tuam Stadium.

After last week’s 10-point defeat to Mayo, there was concern about how Galway would bounce back heading into the Connacht semi-final, but they showed no signs of letting that result effect them in this contest.

Kevin Johnson made one change to his starting XV with Brian O’Malley coming into the side for Cian Rafferty. Roscommon threw the first punch when wing-back Conor Grogan put them into the lead, Galway replied hitting the next five points in-a-row.

Cian Mitchell and O’Malley’s pace and driving runs from the half-back line gave Galway energy early on and both wing-backs chipped in on the scoreboard. Matthew Collins added his first point and team captain Mikey Mulryan sent over a terrific two-pointer to give Galway a 0-5 to 0-1 lead.

Roscommon captain Eoghan Carty drove forward and combined with John McGuiness who excellently slotted the ball into the back of the net on the first quarter mark. Charlie O’Carroll, brother of Roscommon senior footballer Ben O’Carroll levelled matters on 20 minutes.

The men in maroon and white looked sharper and more clinical in the first half. Mulryan, Eoinín Ó Cualáin and Ciaran Mulhern pushed their side into a 0-9 to 1-2 lead on 25 minutes but the Rossies hit back with Grogan and Cathal McKeon reducing the gap to two points at the break.

Johnson decided to move Ross Coen into the edge of the square at the start of the second half. That move paid off with Coen landing the first three points of the second half but Galway failed to push on from that five point lead.

Cian Smith’s charges regrouped and began to devour Galway’s kickout, as Johnson’s charges struggled to win any of the breaks around the middle third.

Three O’Carroll frees, along with efforts from Collins and substitute Ruairi Kilcline levelled the contest for the third time on 45 minutes. Mulryan ended Galway’s seventeen minute scoring drought with a free to send them back in front, the lead didn’t last for long.

Cathal McKeon delivered a ball across the square, and the imposing 6 foot 6 target-man Kilcline created major difficulties for the Galway defence. With 10 minutes remaining, Kilcline found the net. He played a crucial role in swinging the game, bringing his tally to 1-2 and pushing the victors ahead 2-10 to 0-13 by the 55th minute.

Richard McGrath and Mulryan gave Galway a glimmer of hope of forcing extra time, but they couldn’t find the equaliser or land a late two-pointer to steal the win, as Roscommon held firm to see it out.

Galway senior panelists Mikey Mulryan, Shay McGlinchey, and Ciaran Mulhern face a quick turnaround on Saturday afternoon when all three players turn their attention to a Connacht Senior Football Championship semi-final clash with Leitrim in Carrick On-Shannon.

Roscommon: P Gaynor; D O'Higgins, M Gillooly, N Berzins; C Grogan (0-2), K Kelly, E Carthy; N Heneghan, C Enright; C McKeon (0-1), J McGuinness (1-0), E Collins (0-1); J Curran, D Casey, C O'Carroll (0-4, 0-4f).

Subs: R Kilcline (1-2) for Casey (39), C Murray for Grogan (54), D Kennedy for Collins (59), K Hester for Curran (60).

Galway: B Carroll; V Gill, O Kelly, D Hughes; C Mitchell (0-1), R McGrath (0-1), B O’Malley (0-1); S McGlinchey, P Keaney; C Mulhern (0-1, 0-1f), R Coen (0-3), M Ó Domhnaill; E Ó Cualáin (0-1), M Mulryan (0-5, 1tp, 0-1f), M Collins (0-1).

Subs: C Mannion for Hughes (inj, 9), K Joyce for Collins (50), C O’Donnell for Ó Domnhnaill (53), C Rafferty for O’Malley (59), C McDonagh for Gill (60).

Referee: Ronan Hynes (Sligo).