Connacht U20 round-up: Kobe McDonald scores match-clinching two-pointer as Mayo edge Roscommon

Elsewhere a Matthew Walsh goal in the third minute of stoppage time gave Sligo a 1-11 to 0-12 win over Leitrim. who now have no margin for error with games against Galway and Roscommon still to come.

Mayo’s Kobe McDonald celebrates at the final whistle. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie

Senior stars Darragh Beirne and Kobe McDonald led the way for Mayo in the Dalata Hotels Connacht U-20 championship on Wednesday night, kicking 0-11 between them – including a match-clinching two-pointer from McDonald on the hour mark – to give Mayo a 2-16 to 1-15 win over Roscommon, their second of the campaign.

Roscommon, who produced a sensational comeback from 11 behind to win by 10 last week against Sligo, were on course to do the same in Castlebar after they retrieved a seven-point deficit to draw level by half-time, with the wind to come.

Mayo established a winning position however when they hit 1-6 without replay at the start of the second half and while Dean Casey came off the bench to kick 1-2 and leave just two between the teams, McDonald’s orange flag settled matters.

McDonald also turned provider in the early exchanges, setting up Oisín Deane’s goal and two other points, with Beirne on target from outside the arc.

A superb Charlie O’Carroll kick into the wind drew Roscommon back into the fight and they were level at the break after John McGuinness fisted a point.

The Rossies were in front after 38 minutes when John Curran, Ruairí Kilcline and O’Carroll scored either side of a Tom Lydon effort, but Mayo went on a scoring spree, adding another Deane goal and a point from roving wing back Colm Lynch, in between dead ball scores for Beirne, Lydon and McDonald.

Dean Casey, part of the St. Nathy’s team that reached the All-Ireland Senior “B” schools final against Cnoc Mhuire of Granard, came off the bench to score a superb goal but it wasn’t enough, with McDonald seeing Mayo home.

Neither Sligo nor Leitrim had any points on the board coming into their game so the pressure was on both teams at Kilcoyne Park in Tubbercurry, particularly the home side who would have been eliminated if they suffered a third defeat.

They didn’t, as a Matthew Walsh goal in the third minute of stoppage time instead gave them a 1-11 to 0-12 win over their neighbours, who now have no margin for error with games against Galway and Roscommon still to come.

Cathal Gilligan sent over an excellent point in the first minute for Sligo, but it wasn’t a sign of a free scoring game to come, as perhaps the biggest moment of the first half was a score denied by Leitrim goalkeeper Scott Kerr.

And with 22 minutes played Sligo were awarded a penalty, from which centre forward Michael Carroll opted to go for power with a thunderous right-footed effort. Kerr correctly chose to dive right and got a strong hand on the ball to parry the effort.

Leitrim briefly hit the front through an outstanding Paul Honeyman free from all of 55 metres out, with Adam Feeney replying to level the game at 0-5 each at the turnaround.

Leitrim were the better side for much of the second half. Ruairi O'Rourke fisted a point to get the half underway; Eamon McNamara added another superb strike while the score of the game was a delightfully curled left-footed point from Jack Kelly to make it 0-10 to 0-7 with a little under ten minutes remaining.

Eamon O’Mahony and Conor Walsh pointed to bring Sligo back into it, and they snatched the win when Eamon Keane flicked the ball across to Matthew Walsh, who got in between two defenders to punch the ball to the net.