All-Ireland SFC: Tyrone crash out after Roscommon defeat (2024)

Published

22 June 2024

Roscommon pulled off a stunning 0-14 to 0-12 victory over Tyrone to reach the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals.

The Rossies had never beaten Tyrone in Championship football but took full advantage of a lethargic display by the Red Hands in Omagh.

Tyrone were particularly poor in the opening half and trailed 0-9 to 0-3 at half time with Donie Smith, Diarmuid Murtagh, Conor Cox and Daire Cregg hitting 0-8 from play between them.

Tyrone made three half-time changes with Peter Harte and Eoin McElholm adding some bite to their attack and they closed to within a point, at 0-13 to 0-12, with six minutes to go.

Darragh Canavan and Niall Morgan battled hard and showed leadership but others failed to step up and their challenge petered out with a whimper.

Roscommon will play either Kerry, Dublin or Armagh in the last eight while Tyrone's 2024 season comes to an end in disappointing fashion.

Tyrone were raging hot favourites having won all five previous Championship meetings and played like a team who expected something to happen, rather than making it happen.

They were off beam from the start, lethargic when not in possession and not ruthless or efficient enough when they had it.

Seven first-half wides told part of the story of a first half when quite simply, Tyrone did not show up.

Roscommon played with intent and purpose and dictated the terms by winning their kickouts and turnovers with their forwards reminding everyone of their skill set.

Seanie O’Donnell fisted the opening point after five minutes and that was the only time Tyrone led.

Roscommon got the next six in-a-row in the opening quarter with Donie Smith getting three of them from play.

With Tyrone standing off their men and giving the visitors plenty of time and space to shoot, Roscommon inflicted the punishment on Tyrone that they deserved with Diarmuid Murtagh and Cox proving an able support cast.

Much of the pre-match build-up had centred on Conn Kilpatrick’s late reprieve, after a successful appeal to the CAC on Friday night.

It came as a surprise, therefore, when he did not start.

It then came as no surprise when he was brought on as one of three Tyrone changes at the start of the second half, but he made no impact on the game.

Also introduced was the veteran Peter Harte and All-Ireland Under-20 winning star forward McElholm for his senior inter-county debut.

Brian Dooher took off Ruairi Canavan, Ben Cullen and Michael O’Neill but in truth outside of Darragh Canavan and Niall Morgan, he could have taken anyone off.

The changes worked to an extent as Tyrone set to work on their six-point interval deficit and there was a general improvement in their play and attitude.

Suddenly they were winning a few turnovers, hurrying Roscommon into a few mistakes and playing with a lot more energy.

Yet Roscommon were still able to win most of their kickouts and every time Tyrone laboured to a score, they were able to reply almost instantly.

While Darragh Canavan produced a couple of moments of magic, too many Tyrone players turned down easy shot opportunities.

It may have been a sign of the lack of confidence in the team but regardless, Roscommon fed off Tyrone’s fragility and kept a decent lead with Diarmuid Murtagh and Daire Cregg hitting 0-2 each from play in the second half.

A Brian Kennedy mark and Michael McKernan points were rare highlights for Tyrone who closed to 0-13 to 0-12 down after 64 minutes.

Again there was little urgency as the time ticked away and the closest they came was with a difficult shot from Darragh Canavan which just tailed wide.

Daire Cregg landed the insurance point for Roscommon with two minutes of normal time to go and even with three minutes injury time still to play, Tyrone could not muster a stirring response.

“It’s disappointing. It’s hard to put it into words. The gap was probably too big at half-time," reflected Tyrone's Cathal McShane after the game.

“We tried everything in the second half but we managed to keep that gap. It just wasn’t to be.

“Roscommon were clinical but we felt we could come out on top. It looked like we were doing that on many occasions but a decision here or there we didn’t get and then Roscommon managed to extend their lead and you have to give them credit for that."

Tyrone: N Morgan; M McKernan (0-1), P Hampsey, N Devlin; B Cullen, N McCarron, M O'Neill; B Kennedy (0-1, m), M Donnelly; C Daly, R Canavan, C McShane; D McCurry (0-5, 4f), D Canavan (0-3, 1f), S O'Donnell (0-1)

Subs: E McElholm (0-1) for R Canavan (HT), C Kilpatrick for O’Neill (HT), P Harte for Cullen (HT), K McGeary for Daly (59), S O’Hare for McShane (65)

Roscommon: C Carroll; N Higgins, B Stack (capt), R Dolan; D Murray, R Fallon, E McCormack; E Smith, U Harney; D Ruane, D Murtagh (0-4), S Cunnane; D Cregg (0-3), C Cox (0-3, 1f), D Smith (0-4)

Subs: R Daly for Ruane (43), C Lennon for McCormack (51), N Daly for Harney (60), C Heneghan for Cox (65), K Doyle for Murtagh (70)

Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)

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