Super sub Ruairi Kilcline fires Roscommon past Galway and into Connacht U20 final

Kilcline scored 1-2 in his 20 minute cameo to help swing the match in the Rossies favour.

SUPER SUB: Eoin Collins and Cathal McKeon of Roscommon, with Ruairí Kilcline running from behind, celebrate after winning the Connacht GAA Football U20 Championship semi-final. Pic: Paul Phelan/Sportsfile.

ROSCOMMON 2-10 (2-0-10) GALWAY 0-15 (0-1-13)

Towering full forward Ruairi Kilcline made his 20 minutes on the pitch count in fine style this evening as he poached 1-2 to send Roscommon through to the Connacht U-20 final next Wednesday, where they will try to turn the tables on Kobe McDonald and his Mayo colleagues at Tuam Stadium.

On a night when the Rossies devoured Galway in the kickout battle but laboured badly up front, shooting 12 wides to just three for the Tribesmen, Kilcline gave them a big physical target that made life that bit easier, most obviously when Cathal McKeon just floated the ball across the square with ten minutes to play, and the Galway defender and goalkeeper had no chance against the six foot six Roscommon man.

Defensively, Cian Smith’s side found their way as the contest progressed. Galway looked sharper on the ball and after conceding the first point they scored 0-5 unanswered, including a majestic two-pointer from Mikey Mulryan.

Then John McGuinness came up with a stunning run and finish for a goal, and while Galway continued to look like the better team, getting to half-time 0-9 to 1-4 in front, a couple of last-ditch tackles from Michael Gillooly and Diarmuid O’Higgins kept Roscommon’s goal intact and kept them in touch.

Galway briefly led by five when Ross Coen caught fire after half-time, landing three points in as many minutes, but that was followed by 26 minutes in which they scored just once.

Roscommon completely took over on the kickout battle with team captain Eoghan Carthy imperious after he made the switch from wing back to centre back, and Kilcline gave them a fulcrum up front around which they built a 2-10 to 0-13 lead.

Mulryan and Richard McGrath pointed to keep tensions high and true to form, Roscommon missed two glorious opportunities to land insurance points, but in the end, it didn’t matter as Galway couldn’t generate the chance they needed.

SCORERS FOR ROSCOMMON: R Kilcline 1-2, C O’Carroll 0-4 (4f), J McGuinness 1-0, C Grogan 0-2, C McKeon, E Collins 0-1 each.

SCORERS FOR GALWAY: M Mulryan 0-5 (1tp, 1f), R Coen 0-3, C Mitchell, M Collins, C Mulhern (1f), E Ó Cualáin, B O’Malley, R McGrath 0-1 each.

ROSCOMMON: P Gaynor; D O'Higgins, M Gillooly, N Berzins; C Grogan, K Kelly, E Carthy; N Heneghan, C Enright; C McKeon, J McGuinness, E Collins; J Curran, D Casey, C O'Carroll.

Subs: R Kilcline for Casey (39), C Murray for Grogan (54), D Kennedy for Collins (59), K Hester for Curran (60).

GALWAY: B Carroll; V Gill, O Kelly, D Hughes; C Mitchell, R McGrath, B Molloy; S McGlinchey, P Keaney; C Mulhern, R Coen, M Ó Domhnaill; E Ó Cualáin, M Mulryan, M Collins.

Subs: C Mannion for Hughes (9), K Joyce for Collins (50), C O’Donnell for Ó Domnhnaill (53), C Rafferty for O’Malley (59), C McDonagh for Gill (60+4).

REFEREE: Ronan Hynes (Sligo).