Roscommon end Mayo's Under 20 adventure after pulsating tie

Where to start with this one? The end is a good place, with Roscommon edging Mayo to the Dalata Connacht GAA Under 20 Football Championship title on a 5-16 to 2-22 scoreline in Tuam Stadium.

An incredible game needed extra time to find a winner, with goals proving crucial in the end.

What proved to be the deciding goal came in the 10th minute of the second half of injury time as sub Ruairi Kilcline collected a high delivery and settled himself before delivering a low shot to the bottom left corner of the Mayo net.

Two minutes of injury time were indicated and Mayo outscored Roscommon by two points to one in that period, but the goal they needed just wouldn't materialise, leaving the Primrose and Blue winners by three points.

For long periods Mayo looked the slightly better team but Roscommon grew stronger the longer it went on, and were always a threat in front of the goal.

It was a goal at the other end that got things going. While Roscommon opened the scoring through Niall Heneghan (free), the early stages were illuminated by Kobe McDonald as he collected a pass from Colm Lynch on the run and slammed a shot past Patrick Gaynor in the opposition goal.

Another Crossmolina man, Josh Moyles, stretched the Mayo lead with their first point on six minutes but Roscommon closed the gap to the minimum with one from play by John Curran and a 45 by Gaynor.

That Gaynor point followed a save by Mayo 'keeper Conor Meaney to deny John McGuinness, Roscommon serving notice that they too were a creative attacking force.

Darragh Beirne and Tom Lydon scored two in a row for Mayo to leave the goal between the teams again but Heneghan once again reduced the gap.

Then came Mayo's second goal on 19 minutes, Lydon with a fine effort after good work by Moyles to set him up.

Curran stopped the rot momentarily but four in a row from Lydon, McDonald, Moyles and Beirne left Mayo looking in a very healthy position going into the closing stages of the first half, now leading 2-7 to 0-5.

Roscommon needed a response – and they got it. Dean Casey did all the damage with a slaloming run from the left towards the danger area before passing to Curran in front of goal. Curran still had work to do to find space for a shot but he succeeded and found the back of the net for a much-needed score.

Charlie O'Carroll, another lively forward, split the posts with a free in injury time, leaving Mayo leading by just four (2-7 to 1-6) at the half-time break.

Roscommon started the second half like an express train and reeled off five points to go into the lead by the 40th minute, Casey, sub Colin Murray and McGuinness with singles before Eoghan Carthy landed the first two-pointer of the day – a free – to leave it 1-11 to 2-7.

Mayo needed a tonic and Tom Lydon provided it to make it a level game again, while McDonald put Mayo back into the lead (2-9 to 1-11).

Andrew Quinn's hard work led to another Mayo point, scored by Darragh Beirne, but Mayo were rocked when Roscommon were gifted a goal. Substitute Ruairi Kilcline, just minutes on the pitch, was presented with a simple finish after Mayo 'keeper Conor Meaney miscued a hand-pass clearance straight to him after coming out to collect a John McGuinness effort for a point that fell short.

McDonald responded with a two-point effort to put Mayo back into the lead, but Roscommon pounced for another goal, McGuinness with the finish after burying along the left endline and squeezing a low shot under the diving Meaney from a tight angle.

That left it 3-11 to 2-12 on 49 minutes, but Mayo were ahead again on 55 after points from Lydon (two) and Colm Lynch.

There could be no holding back now, and neither side relented. Roscommon tried to work a two-point score but had to settle for a single from Keelan Kelly, sending the game into extra time.

Mayo opened the extra-time scoring with a fisted effort by Tom Lydon, yet Roscommon stunned their opponents with another goal, this one scored by sub Kevin Hester. The Green and Red rallied, however, and points from McDonald, Dylan Flynn and Lynch had them one ahead (2-19 to 4-12) at the break in extra time.

The early stages of the final period were cagey but Eoghan Carthy, the Roscommon captain, scored a two-pointer to give his side the lead. Mayo levelled thanks to a 45 by McDonald but then came Kilcline's goal to really settle the issue once and for all.

Mayo could feel they were treated a little harshly as Josh Carey was called for a foul in executing a hand-off immediately before that final goal, conceding a free from which Roscommon worked the goal.

McDonald scored a point before Casey slotted a close-range free at the other end, leaving it 5-16 to 2-21. Mayo went for goal, sub Cian Walsh slamming a shot off the top of the bar and over, but time simply ran out on what was a very valiant but ultimately fruitless effort by Keith Higgins' men.

Mayo: C. Meaney; J. Lavelle, T. Lambert, A. Coggins; C. Lynch (0-2), R. Mortimer, J. Moyles (0-2); D. Staunton, J. Holmes; A. Quinn, K. McDonald (1-7, 1tp, 1 45), D. Flynn (0-1); D. Beirne (0-3), O. Deane, T. Lydon (1-6).

Subs used: C. Walsh (0-1), T. Tuffy, C. Jordan, D. Neary, M. Noonan, Y. Coghill, B. Holmes, J. Carey.

Roscommon: P. Gaynor (0-1 45); D. O'Higgins, M. Gillooly, N. Berzins; K. Kelly (0-1), E. Carthy (0-4, 1tpf, 1tp), C. Grogan; N. Heneghan (0-2), C. Enright; C. McKeon, D. Casey (0-3, 1f), E. Collins; J. Curran (1-2), C. O'Carroll (0-1f), J. McGuinness (1-1).

Subs used: D. Kennedy, C. Murray (0-1), R. Kilcline (2-0), D. Higgins, K. Hester (1-0), L. Finneran, S. Tighe.

Referee: T. Murphy (Galway).

*See next week's print edition for more on the game