Roscommon produced one of their biggest performance of the Davy Burke era with a 14-point win over Cork.
The Pair Ui Chaomh crowd emptied out after witnessing Cork’s hurling league win over Kilkenny. What they missed was a ruthless display by Burke’s Roscommon.
Mark Cronin had opened the scoring, the tricky Cork forward with a single and two-pointer either side of Robbie Dolan’s equaliser.
A Ben O’Carroll point and a Conor Hand ’45 had the side’s level after nine minutes. Cronin restored Cork’s lead on 14 minutes with Mattie Taylor extending the lead to two points on 17 minutes.
A Shane Cunnane free and a Diarmuid Murtagh free had the side’s level after 23 minutes. Another Murtagh free had Roscommon ahead on 25 minutes.
Two minutes later, O’Carroll moved Roscommon two ahead with a point, when an empty goal was on offer. However, the pendulum had swung in favour of the rossies.
Murtagh scored a two point free to make it a four point game, nine points to five. Cronin pulled a point back only for Murtagh to convert a second two-point free.
Roscommon add the two pointers
Cronin responded with a two pointer, only for Conor Hand to send over a point bang on the hooter! Roscommon led 12 points to eight at half-time.
Ultan Harney and Hand moved Roscommon six points clear two minutes after the restart. Cork stayed in touch as Ben O’Carroll made it 16 points to 11 with 44 minutes on the clock.
Indeed, the game moved into Roscommon’s control with 20 minutes remaining. O’Carroll fouled in the large square. Enda Smyth rifling the penalty into the net putting Roscommon 1-16 to 0-11 ahead.
Conor Hand sent over a two pointer from play as Burke’s side had their tales up. Ciaran and Diarmuid Murtagh kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Two minutes from time Ben O’Carroll put the cherry on the cake with a goal with Niall Daly adding the icing with a last gasp point.
Roscommon winning out 2-21 to 13 points, moving the rossies to eight points and adding a huge scoring difference swing.
