Club football can be so confusing. At half-time in yesterday's AIB Connacht final at Hyde Park, it would have seemed a safe enough bet to place your mortgage on Crossmolina walking away with a first provincial title. Fortunately, there were no bookies around and by the end the Mayo champions were thankful to get a second bite at the cherry.
Indeed Michael McHale, Roscommon Gaels's in-form deadball kicker who had contributed the lion's share of his team's total, could have settled matters for everybody when he lined up a long-range free which proved to be the game's last item. However, the kick swung left and narrowly wide and guaranteed that the two sides would renew rivalry again next Saturday (throw-in 2.0).
Whether or not home advantage will be a factor in the replay, which takes place at Crossmolina, remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: a better game can be anticipated. Yesterday's final was not a pretty affair. It was marred, in part, by a whistle-happy referee who awarded a free a minute throughout the game, some of them quite dubious, and also by a degree of stagnation, especially in the respective attacks, which enabled the defences to dominate. After a somewhat nervy start, Crossmolina gained control and, although scores were hard to come by, they were more accomplished in achieving the feat. McHale kicked Gaels into the lead with a free in the second minute, but Crossmolina were the more aggressive unit and three unanswered points in reply - from roving full forward Michael Moyles (two) and Joe Keane - seemed to indicate which team was in the ascendancy.
In fact, Roscommon went 17 minutes without a score until McHale's left boot reminded them of the job at hand but, in reply, Paul McGuinness and Stephen Rochford (a livewire corner back who was intent on breaking away from his defensive tasks whenever possible) added points to give Crossmolina a 0-5 to 0-2 half-time lead.
And yet, in hindsight, there was some evidence of lethargy creeping into Crossmolina's gameplan towards the end of that half.
On at least two occasions, players going forward out of defence had to physically stop and play the ball backwards because of lack of movement in the forward line - and it was almost as if Roscommon scented something when they re-emerged for the second half with far more intent. In the first move of the new half, Crossmolina's Barry Heffernan was forced to produce a splendid save to deny Ross Shannon, tipping the ball around the post for an unconverted 45.
Johnny Leonard kicked the first of his three second-half points from a close-in free in the 32nd minute, but Crossmolina weren't to score again for over 12 minutes and, in that time, Gaels reasserted themselves. Fergal O'Donnell started to win some good ball around the middle of the field and the mood was transferred to his team-mates.
Michael Ryan ventured forth from wing back to kick a fine point; Shannon kicked a free after being fouled by Tom Nallen; and McHale showed his predatory instincts when he kicked a superb point under pressure before Shannon levelled matters with his second free.
Suddenly we had a game on our hands. Crossmolina's response was good: Leonard converted a free and, then, in the best move of the game, Leonard, Keane, Moyles and McGuinness were all involved before McGuinness restored his side's two-point advantage with a lovely score. Within three minutes, Ryan, again sallying forth from defence, and McHale with a free had squared the match again.
The last three scores all came from frees. McHale's effort was followed by a Leonard free, while McHale kicked his fifth point of the game in the 58th minute with another free. In the dying seconds, he was given another chance when Enda Lavelle - who had worked hard without much reward - fouled Liam McNeill some 50 yards from his own posts. This time, McHale's kick was off the mark.
ROSCOMMON GAELS: C Grogan; P Hoey, B McNeela, M Costello; M Ryan (0-2), C Heneghan, P Noone; L McNeill, F McDonnell; M McHale (0-5, three frees), C McDonald, A Nolan; R Shannon (0-2, frees), G Kelly, J Hanly. Subs: J Comiskey for Shannon (48 mins), E Browne for Hoey (49 mins).
CROSSMOLINA: B Heffernan; S Rochford (0-1), T Nallen, C Reilly; P McAndrew, D Mulligan, G O'Malley; T Loftus, J Nallen; E Lavelle, N Convey, J Leonard (0-3, frees); P McGuinness (0-2), M Moyles (0-2), J Keane (0-1). Subs: P Gardner for Loftus (43 mins), G Walsh for Convey (50 mins), PJ Loftus for Keane (60 mins).
Referee: E Stenson (Leitrim).
