Allianz Football League Division One: Tyrone 0-17 Roscommon 1-11
Darragh Canavan’s eight points shot down Roscommon as Tyrone got their Division One campaign off to a winning start for the first time since 2020.
The Red Hands played almost the entire second half with 14 men following the straight red card dismissal of midfielder Conn Kilpatrick, but with six league debutants in their side, they injected energy and pace into a resurgent challenge.
Tyrone’s running game while playing into the wind in that second period, unnerved the Connacht men, and they were unable to contain the in-form Canavan.
The visitors had a late goal disallowed, but the manner in which they were dominated while playing with a strong wind in their backs will be of concern.
The absence of a raft of established players, through injury and retirement, forced the hands of managers Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan, but their young graduates rose to the challenge.
“A lot of young boys there who were playing for the first time never let the situation overawe them, applied themselves well, did the basics well and worked really hard,” said Dooher.
The Rossies saw early points from Diarmuid Murtagh and Niall Daly cancelled out by defenders Padraig Hampsey and Michael McKernan.
But the Connacht men went ahead with Donie Smith’s 14th-minute goal, finished with precision just inside Niall Morgan’s post from Daire Cregg’s searching delivery.
The Red Hands did finish the first half strongly, scoring the last three points, with debutants Seanie O’Donnell and Ben Cullen both on target, but a narrow 0-10 to 1-6 lead was worrying, given the strength of the wind they would face into.
“It was a good second half, we did well to get the noses in front at half-time after conceding the goal, but in the second half we were dealt a real bad blow with Conn getting the line,” Dooher said.
“But they did really well, they dug deep and they worked really hard, and I think in the end they probably got their just rewards for their work and application. It’s good and that’s what you want to see.”
Roscommon were down to 14 men for the first nine minutes of the second half due to Dylan Ruane’s black card, but Kilpatrick’s dismissal more than shifted the balance in their favour.
However, it was an energised Tyrone side that seized control with a possession-based running game, and the in-form Canavan did the rest.
“We know what Darragh can do, and Darragh is an exceptional footballer. Apart from the finishing ability, there’s everything else about him too – his workrate, his dedication, and he’s just a joy to have around a panel. And we know what he can do,” Dooher gushed.
The Rossies managed just two points, from Diarmuid Murtagh and Keith Doyle, in the first 30 minutes of the second half, while Tyrone pushed on, Ciaran Daly marking an impressive debut with a third score, and Canavan hitting the target from play and frees.
Brian Kennedy lifted his game at midfield, and in the pressing closing stages, amidst an inevitable Roscommon fightback, goalkeeper Niall Morgan was imperious in commanding his area.
The Connacht men had a goal disallowed when Cian Connolly was adjudged to have been in the square when he punched to the net, a timely let-off for the home side as a five-point lead was trimmed back to three.
Roscommon manager Davy Burke insisted the goal should have stood.
“It’s no square ball – sure I’ve watched it four times on TG4, it’s no square ball. Robbie Dolan has the ball in his hands, outside the square; when he passes it to Cian, he is outside the square, he palms it into an empty net, it’s a goal.”
But he admitted he was bitterly disappointed by his side’s second half challenge.
“We were very poor in the second half. I thought we were well in control, we were cutting through them at will in the first half; we didn’t do enough damage when we had our opportunities. Yeah, a very tame effort in the second half in total.”
Tyrone: N Morgan; C Devlin; P Hampsey (0-1), A Clarke; C Quinn, M McKernan (0-1), T Quinn; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; N Devlin (0-2), P Harte, B Cullen (0-1); S O’Donnell (0-1, mark), D Canavan (0-8, two frees), C Daly (0-3).
Subs: R Canavan for Devlin (55 mins), D Mulgrew for C Quinn (63 mins), J Donaghy for Cullen (74 mins).
Roscommon: C Carroll; D Murray, E Flynn (0-1), N Higgins; N Daly (0-1), C Walsh, E McCormack; K Doyle (0-1), D Ruane; C Connolly (0-1), D Smith (1-0), D Cregg; D Murtagh (0-5, four frees), C Lennon (0-1), C Cox.
Subs: R Dolan for Higgins (49 mins), L Glennon for Flynn (51 mins), A McDermott for Lennon (55 mins), A Glennon for Cox (59 mins), J Fitzpatrick (0-1) for Walsh (66 mins).
Referee: M McNally (Monaghan)
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