Roscommon go to the top with win over Longford

Following that defeat to Limerick in their last outing, Roscommon bounced back to winning ways at Dr. Hyde Park on Sunday last with a slender 2-point victory over trans-Shannon neighbours Longford. This result brought the additional benefit of putting Roscommon on top of the NFL Division 3 table after the third series of games, albeit on points difference. Fergal O"Donnell"s men are level on four points with Down and surprise packets Tipperary, but go top due to superior scoring average. This will encourage the Primrose and Blue as they prepare for the trip to Drogheda against Louth on Sunday. The Wee County have faltered after that big first round win over Limerick, with setbacks to Down and Offaly denting their early season form which also saw them capture the O"Byrne Cup in impressive manner. A wet, windy, freezing and wintry Dr. Hyde Park was the setting for Sunday"s NFL encounter, with weather conditions primarily responsible for keeping the attendance to no more than 1,500 or so. Those faithful followers, however, saw the best efforts of those keenest of rivals to overcome the conditions and play constructive football frustrated to the limit by one of the poorest displays of refereeing this reporter has witnessed for a considerable time. The Fermanagh official issued four yellow cards for inexplicable reasons, blowing up for the slightest transgression and never taking weather considerations into account - all of which combined to produce an unnecessarily free-ridden and fragmented encounter of a stop-start variety. Perhaps he felt he was interpreting the new 'rules' to the letter, but, if that was the case, it"s "good night Irene" to Gaelic football. It"s a physical contact game, for God"s sake, and if the powers-that-be insist on going down this road, they will have further empty terraces, as fans will simply cease attending matches, let alone the terrible frustration which players and management must feel as they endeavour to play this latter-day indefinable hybrid. So let"s see common sense prevailing in future, which, to be honest, does happen in most games. We definitely saw little of this at 'the Hyde' on Sunday, where the referee took centre stage for all the wrong reasons. Roscommon made one change on their selected line-out, with flu" victim Conor Devaney replaced by subsequent marksman-par-excellence, Clann na nGael"s Donal Shine. Longford introduced Philip Reynolds (midfield), Declan Farrell (right half-forward) and Cian Mimnagh (full-forward) for Colm Flynn, Shane Doyle and Pauric Shanley, respectively. The home team was still smarting from that reverse to Limerick, while Longford sought to return to winning ways following that late Ciaran McManus equaliser, which earned Offaly a share of the spoils at Tullamore last time out. A strong wind blowing into the St. Coman"s Cemetery end of headquarters would ensure the proverbial game of two halves. The homesters got on the scoresheet after just 23 seconds when Brian Higgins shook off a couple of tackles and sent over a beautiful opening point. It was evident from an early stage that this would be a free-ridden encounter with the referee blowing for every perceived indiscretion and, out of the next eleven scores, all bar one would come from placed balls. A brace of Senan Kilbride frees, equated by a like-return from Longford"s Willie Skelly and Francis McGee, left Ros" ahead by 0-3 to 0-2 after eight minutes, as Glenn Ryan"s charges faced the elements in upbeat fashion. We then endured the senseless yellow carding of Roscommon"s Ger Heneghan and David Keenan within minutes of each other, with Johnny Dunning and Seán Purcell coming on. Following a Donal Shine pointed free (13th minute), the young Clann na nGael sharpshooter would go on to add three more in quick succession. His club-mate Johnny Dunning, not long on the park, drew a brilliant save from Longford goalie Stephen Waters, the Clonguish custodian turning out a rasper at the expense of a pointed '45'. Seanie McDermott created the opening for another Shine foray which forced another '45', once more expertly converted, while Donal landed the free after a Longford defender was penalised for over-carrying. After this sustained bout of Ros" pressure, their defence was found wanting when, from a Francis McGee pass, Willie Skelly was allowed through unchallenged for his side"s first point in 12 minutes, but another Donal Shine pointed free maintained the Ros" momentum. The third yellow card of the half saw Longford"s Diarmuid Masterson go for an early shower, replaced by James McEntire, and attacking Roscommon half-back Seanie McDermott then spoiled some good approach work with a couple of scorable wides. Roscommon, as half-time approached, had run-up a worrying tally of seven wides against two for their Leinster neighbours, but, with Senan Kilbride gliding over another free in the concluding action of the half, they still held a useful 6-point (0-9 to 0-3) advantage at the break. Longford lost little time in setting out their second-half intent with Abbeylara"s Padraig Berry pointing within 25 seconds. The subsequently hugely influential Paul Barden had been brought on late in the first half, but Roscommon received a huge boost four minutes in, when full-forward Senan Kilbride combined with the in-rushing Donal Shine to make the opening for super-sub Seán Purcell to dribble the ball, soccer-like, over the line, despite the best efforts of Longford goalie Stephen Waters. Now against the strong wind, this realised a 1-9 to 0-4 lead for a buoyant Ros", but Longford would put this to a searching test in a rousing renaissance where they roared back into contention. A Francis McGee point, however, precluded yellow card No. 4 which saw the Dromard man"s evening prematurely ended, replaced by David Barden. The Clonguish brothers would now be in the vanguard of that stunning recovery, which brought them within a cat"s whisker of taking both points on offer. A further trio of points from Paul Barden, substitute Pauric Shanley and Willie Skelly (free) cancelled out that earlier Ros" goal, but a free earned by Senan Kilbride, and magnificently pointed by Donal Shine (bringing his total to 6 for the afternoon), now left a 5-point gap between the protagonists. With 15 minutes of normal time left, it was again Longford who attacked literally in waves. Ros" goalie Geoffrey Claffey made a goal-line save from Padraig Berry at the expense of a fruitless '45', but a brace of splendid points from play from Paul Barden (why wasn"t he on for the whole game?), together with points from David Barden and Cian Mimnagh (free) now left but the minimum margin between the teams as the game steadily progressed to its conclusion. The Roscommon defence was under severe pressure, but, critically, Longford, who never led in the game, did not manage to produce the scores which would propel them in front. A Senan Kilbride pointed free (foul on the just-introduced Michael Finneran) temporarily lifted the siege, but a free, all of 60 metres out, was sent over at the other end by Paul Barden. Team captain Gary Cox made a timely defensive interception for Roscommon as Longford strove might and main for an equaliser, but the home team would not be outdone. With time ticking away, Johnny Dunning drew a foul about 40 metres out and Donal Shine"s free landed in the Longford goalmouth, but the fist of Fintan Cregg put the ball over the bar for what proved the insurance score and a hard-earned win by two points (1-12 to 0-13). In a game where broken play of a stop-start nature became the order of the day, it was inevitable that many scores would come from placed balls. In this respect, Roscommon were ideally served by Donal Shine and Senan Kilbride who had 10 such points between them, but it is still a sobering statistic that their starting forward line only had one point from play throughout - that Fintan Cregg fisted effort at the end. They now head Boyneside this Sunday in the hope that their attack will regain their shooting boots, very much in evidence in earlier games, against the Wee County. However, a win is a win, and Geoffrey Claffey, John Nolan, Enda Barrett, David Casey, Brian Higgins and goalscorer Seán Purcell all featured prominently on occasions along with those already mentioned. For a gallant Longford squad, Stephen Waters, Peter Foy, Kevin Smith, Enda Williams, Paul and David Barden, Padraig Berry and Willie Skelly all worked tirelessly. SCORERS - Roscommon: D Shine 0-6 (4f, 0-2 '45s'); S Kilbride 0-4 (4f); S Purcell (1-0); B Higgins, F Cregg 0-1 each. Longford: P Barden 0-4 (1f); W Skelly 0-3 (2f); F McGee 0-2 (1f); P Berry, P Shanley, D Barden 0-1 each; C Mimnagh 0-1f. ROSCOMMON: Geoffrey Claffey; Enda Barrett, John Nolan, Peter Domican; Seán McDermott, David Casey, David Keenan; Karol Mannion, Brian Higgins; Gary Cox (capt), Damien Keenehan, Donal Shine; Fintan Cregg, Senan Kilbride, Ger Heneghan. Subs: Johnny Dunning for Heneghan (yellow card, 10); Seán Purcell for Keenan (yellow card, 12); Derek Connellan for Keenehan (50); Paul Gleeson for Barrett (54); Michael Finneran for Mannion (63). LONGFORD: Stephen Waters; Dermot Brady, Noel Farrell, Peter Foy; Diarmuid Masterson, Enda Williams, Kevin Smith; Philip Reynolds, Kevin Mulligan; Declan Farrell, Padraig Berry, Willie Skelly; Francis McGee, Cian Mimnagh, Danny Keenan. Subs: James McEntire for Masterson (yellow card, 25); Paul Barden for Mulligan (31); David Barden for McGee (yellow card, 46); Pauric Shanley for Keenan (49). REFEREE: Martin Higgins (Fermanagh).