U20s round-up: Leitrim find Galway too hot to handle
Leitrim 1-10
Galway 1-21
Colm Costello racked up 1-09 as Galway dispatched Leitrim by 11 points in their Connacht Under-20 championship opener in Cloone this evening.
The game had come into greater focus after Leitrim's highly controversial decision to forfeit their Division 3 Allianz Football League game against Fermanagh last weekend, partly due to an injury crisis and partly due to the high preponderance of Under-20 players in their senior squad.
Senior boss Steven Poacher had stressed the importance of the Under-20 championship when explaining the decision but Leitrim got off to a losing start in their provincial campaign, Derek Savage's visitors cantering to victory on the back of a dominant first half performance.
Galway fired themselves into an 0-08 to 0-00 lead by the 10 minute mark, Sean O'Connor and Costello landing early two-pointers.
While Jack Kelly fired a goal to get the hosts off the mark, Galway weren't unduly rattled and eased to a 10-point lead by the half-time stage, all six of their forwards on the scoreboard as they led 0-15 to 1-02 at the break.
Dunmore full-forward Costello found the net to essentially settle the contest early in the second half. While Leitrim did respond through points from Dara Greenan and Paul Honeyman, there was never any prospect of a comeback.
Substitute Ben Guckian did land two late two-pointers but it was much too late, Galway running out 1-21 to 1-10 winners.
Mayo 1-15
Roscommon 0-13
In Hastings Insurance McHale Park, Mayo recovered from a sluggish start to win by five against Roscommon.
With 20 minutes on the clock, the visitors led 0-08 to 0-04, Roscommon Gaels' Rory Carthy landing two two-pointers in the early stages.
However, Mayo put on a timely second quarter spurt, Tom Lydon hitting three points on the trot before John MacMonagle fired the decisive goal on 27 minutes.
The game remained on a knife edge for much of a low-scoring second half before Mayo grabbed the initiative in the final quarter.
A late brace of points apiece from Oisín Cronin and Darragh Beirne lifted Mayo over the line on a scoreline of 1-15 to 0-13.
Down 0-11
Tyrone 3-15
In Ulster, Tyrone powered past Down after a second half surge in Páirc Esler.
The sides were level at the break (1-04 to 0-07), Conor O'Neill's 17th minute goal keeping the away side touch.
Tyrone's Conor O'Neill
However, Liam Óg Mossey's goal early in the second half opened up some daylight between the sides and Tyrone saw it out ruthlessly.
Michael McElhatton lashed home a third in the final 10 minutes as the reigning All-Ireland champions commenced their title defence with a resounding 3-15 to 0-11 win.
Fermanagh 1-08
Donegal 1-18
In Brewster Park, Gary Boyle's Donegal had 10 points to spare against Fermanagh.
Conor McCahill, Shane O'Callaghan and Senan Carr carried much of the scoring load for Donegal in a dominant perfomance, though it was Fermanagh who fired the opening goal through Mattie McDermott.
Donegal had already edged a point in front by the time Sean Martin's high ball into the mixer somehow wound up in the net and the away side led 1-10 to 1-04 at the break.
While Fermanagh showed signs of life in the third quarter, a pair of scores from Conor O'Hanlon and a two-pointer from McDermott narrowing the deficit to four points by the 45th minute, that was as good as it got for the hosts, who failed to score for the remainder of the game.
Donegal landed the final six points, McCahill accounting for four of them, as they ran out 1-18 to 1-08 winners.
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Galway 1-21
Colm Costello racked up 1-09 as Galway dispatched Leitrim by 11 points in their Connacht Under-20 championship opener in Cloone this evening.
The game had come into greater focus after Leitrim's highly controversial decision to forfeit their Division 3 Allianz Football League game against Fermanagh last weekend, partly due to an injury crisis and partly due to the high preponderance of Under-20 players in their senior squad.
Senior boss Steven Poacher had stressed the importance of the Under-20 championship when explaining the decision but Leitrim got off to a losing start in their provincial campaign, Derek Savage's visitors cantering to victory on the back of a dominant first half performance.
Galway fired themselves into an 0-08 to 0-00 lead by the 10 minute mark, Sean O'Connor and Costello landing early two-pointers.
While Jack Kelly fired a goal to get the hosts off the mark, Galway weren't unduly rattled and eased to a 10-point lead by the half-time stage, all six of their forwards on the scoreboard as they led 0-15 to 1-02 at the break.
Dunmore full-forward Costello found the net to essentially settle the contest early in the second half. While Leitrim did respond through points from Dara Greenan and Paul Honeyman, there was never any prospect of a comeback.
Substitute Ben Guckian did land two late two-pointers but it was much too late, Galway running out 1-21 to 1-10 winners.
Mayo 1-15
Roscommon 0-13
In Hastings Insurance McHale Park, Mayo recovered from a sluggish start to win by five against Roscommon.
With 20 minutes on the clock, the visitors led 0-08 to 0-04, Roscommon Gaels' Rory Carthy landing two two-pointers in the early stages.
However, Mayo put on a timely second quarter spurt, Tom Lydon hitting three points on the trot before John MacMonagle fired the decisive goal on 27 minutes.
The game remained on a knife edge for much of a low-scoring second half before Mayo grabbed the initiative in the final quarter.
A late brace of points apiece from Oisín Cronin and Darragh Beirne lifted Mayo over the line on a scoreline of 1-15 to 0-13.
Down 0-11
Tyrone 3-15
In Ulster, Tyrone powered past Down after a second half surge in Páirc Esler.
The sides were level at the break (1-04 to 0-07), Conor O'Neill's 17th minute goal keeping the away side touch.
Tyrone's Conor O'Neill
However, Liam Óg Mossey's goal early in the second half opened up some daylight between the sides and Tyrone saw it out ruthlessly.
Michael McElhatton lashed home a third in the final 10 minutes as the reigning All-Ireland champions commenced their title defence with a resounding 3-15 to 0-11 win.
Fermanagh 1-08
Donegal 1-18
In Brewster Park, Gary Boyle's Donegal had 10 points to spare against Fermanagh.
Conor McCahill, Shane O'Callaghan and Senan Carr carried much of the scoring load for Donegal in a dominant perfomance, though it was Fermanagh who fired the opening goal through Mattie McDermott.
Donegal had already edged a point in front by the time Sean Martin's high ball into the mixer somehow wound up in the net and the away side led 1-10 to 1-04 at the break.
While Fermanagh showed signs of life in the third quarter, a pair of scores from Conor O'Hanlon and a two-pointer from McDermott narrowing the deficit to four points by the 45th minute, that was as good as it got for the hosts, who failed to score for the remainder of the game.
Donegal landed the final six points, McCahill accounting for four of them, as they ran out 1-18 to 1-08 winners.
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