Penalty goal makes its Mark
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
ON the last day of a winter that unleashed biblical weather on the west of Ireland Roscommon completed their pre-league build-up with a four-point defeat by Mayo in a reasonably entertaining albeit low-key FBD Connacht league match at Ballinlough.
The memory of the match will fade as quickly as the melting snow on the side of the road from Ballinlough to Ballymoe.
Roscommon had to win to maintain any hope of reaching the final of the competition but instead it is Mayo who will go on to meet Galway. Next Sunday's opening national league match at home to Cavan is of far greater significance and pointers towards next Sunday were sought eagerly by Roscommon fans in the crowd. The value of the FBD league has diminished in recent seasons. Its revival in the mid-1990s dovetailed so neatly with the re-emergence of Connacht teams as credible All-Ireland contenders as to be more than mere coincidence.
Now just as Connacht has slid ever further away from football's top table in the last three years the competition's credibility has also waned. For teams like Roscommon the worth of building for the national league is diluted because so many key players have to make their third level teams their priority.
The one trend that has emerged from the three games in the Connacht league is that Roscommon are in trouble up front - a tally of 0-22 from three matches says it all. Cavan are far from world-beaters but a tally of 0-7 or 0-8 won't beat them. The absence of Karol Mannion and Senan Kilbride makes the return of Donie Shine, David O'Gara and Cathal Cregg all the more welcome. The ball also needs to go in much quicker to whatever forward-line is on duty next Sunday.
Michael Killilea, Ian Kilbride, Enda Kenny and Mark O'Carroll enhanced their claims for starting places against Cavan with good displays. Only time will tell about their long-term prospects but just now Roscommon football can't afford to look beyond Cavan and all four could have important roles to play next Sunday.
On the positive side, Roscommon showed commendable work-rate and determination. Roscommon had to get back on the bike against Mayo after last summer's dusting and they never flinched.
For all the discussion about the role of the 'mark' in the new rules it was another Mark who was the difference between the teams. Once Mark Ronaldson slotted the only goal of the game from a penalty Mayo never really looked in danger but the home team kept battling to the end.
Former Irish schoolboys soccer international Ronaldson sent Geoffrey Claffley the wrong way as he placed a low shot to the net after a foul on Enda Varley. The game was a personal triumph for Ronaldson who finished with a tally of 1-6.
The match began slowly with only one score in the opening quarter, a Roscommon point from a free by Ger Heneghan. Mayo shot five wides before Seamus O'Shea, an older brother of Aidan, opened their account in the 15th minute with a point from play.
Trevor Mortimer gave John O'Mahony's team the lead in the 16th minute and they extended their advantage to three points by the 20th minute with two scores from frees by Ronaldson.
Heneghan pointed a free after 21 minutes but Ronaldson responded with a point from play, a punched effort from the right of goal.
Centre-back Ian Kilbride scored a good point for Roscommon after 25 minutes following a pass from Kevin Higgins and, following a wide from a free by Heneghan, Gary Cox lofted over a point from a free on the right wing to leave one point between the teams at half-time.
Fergal O'Donnell's team began the second-half impressively. Heneghan scored from play within 20 seconds of the resumption and Enda Kenny set up Cox for a point in the 32nd minute.
Ronaldson equalised quickly and the corner-forward struck for the decisive score of the game after 37 minutes. A high ball was knocked down by Aidan O'Shea to Varley who was fouled and Ronaldson scored the resulting penalty.
After an exchange of points from frees between John Rogers and Ronaldson, Rogers slotted a marvellous point from a 35-metre free. However Mayo always did enough to keep Roscommon at arm's length and closed out the game with pointed frees from Ronaldsonand Andy Moran in the 50th and 60th minutes respectively.
The FBD league is over and will be quickly forgotten; next Sunday the real season begins.
•Thanks to everyone in the Michael Glaveys club for their hospitality.
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