In one of the most thrilling All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals, team Roscommon proved victorious over the Tyrone squad with a score of 14 to 12. Roscommon’s coach, Davy Burke, could not hide his admiration for his team’s exceptional performance both in terms of the finishing attacks and their resilient defence.
The match played at O’Neills Healy Park, deemed as Tyrone’s home ground, left the audience in awe as the Roscommon’s spirited display led to their surprise victory. This brilliant win has secured Roscommon a position in next weekend’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals held in Croke Park.
The winning team’s players, Diarmuid Murtagh and Donie Smith, were notable stars, each contributing four impressive points. Their involvement led Roscommon to their first ever victorious match against Tyrone.
Post-match, questions arose concerning the future of Tyrone’s joint managers, Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan, who made a quiet exit without engaging with the media. Meanwhile, Roscommon’s manager applauded his team for their remarkable season that had, in his opinion, not received adequate acknowledgment.
Burke made a comment about consecutive victories that followed numerous losses, “We’ve been exhibiting a high calibre of football for quite some time, something which might have slipped past unnoticed.”
He also lauded his team’s long-standing commitment to Roscommon and their ability to triumph over a well-rated team, “This outcome was crucial. They had to come and show their skills, and conquer an elite team- which is precisely what they did today.”
Burke’s strategy hinged on preventing goals and expecting the potent offensive unit to take charge. Mentioning his strategy, he said, “We thought we could always nick a score as long as we kept them out of our goal.” He especially praised his players’ attacking aptitude combined with their solid defensive strategy.
Looking ahead to the last-eight encounter in the next weekend, Burke was aware it would be a challenge taking on a re-energised team. However, he trusted his team would enjoy it. “We’re potentially up against Kerry, Donegal or Armagh, and nothing will come easy, but we’re up for it.”
“But we approach Croke Park brimming with self-assurance,” was the sentiment echoed.
The home team nudged ahead after Seanie O’Donnell’s scoring shot, but then suffered a dry patch of 13 minutes during which Roscommon relentlessly stacked up five points, courtesy of Donie Smith and Conor Cox who chipped in two each.
As the half-time whistle approached, both teams had opportunities to net a goal, but Diarmuid Murtagh’s attempt was expertly thwarted by Niall Morgan, while Ciaran Daly’s angled shot swerved wide off the Rossies goalpost.
With a half-time lead of 0-9 over 0-3, Roscommon was forced to withstand relentless heat from the home side, who were propelled by the wind. Darragh Canavan, however, was the only one who could navigate through the solid defence, making a pair of exceptional scores. Darren McCurry also made good on three frees.
Michael McKernan got them to within striking distance, just a point short, but through Brian Stack and Robbie Dolan’s resilience, the visiting team managed to fend off the challenge. The decisive scores were made by Murtagh and Daire Cregg.
The final lineups were:
Tyrone: N Morgan, M McKernan (0-1), P Hampsey, N Devlin, B Cullen, M Donnelly, M O’Neill, B Kennedy (0-1, one mark), C McShane, C Daly, R Canavan, N McCarron, D McCurry (0-5, four frees), D Canavan (0-3, one free), S O’Donnell (0-1).
Substitutes: C Kilpatrick for O’Neill (h-t), P Harte for Cullen (h-t), E McElholm (0-1) for R Canavan (h-t), K McGeary for Daly (58), S O’Hare for McShane (63)
Roscommon: C Carroll, N Higgins, B Stack, R Dolan, D Murray, R Fallon, E McCormack, E Smith, U Harney, D Ruane, D Murtagh (0-4), S Cunnane, D Cregg (0-3), C Cox (0-3, one free), D Smith (0-4).
Substitutes: R Daly for Ruane (43), C Lennon for McCormack (47), N Daly for Harney (58), K Doyle for Murtagh (69)
The match was officiated by D Coldrick of Meath.
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