Croke Park misery for Mayo hurlers in Nicky Rackard final
Mayo's Jason Coyne after his side's defeat in the Nickey Rackard Cup final match between Mayo and Roscommon at Croke Park in Dublin. Picture: Stephen Marken/Sportsfile
Not for the first time, Mayo hearts were broken by a late Croke Park winner as Brendan Mulry fired over a late point for Roscommon to clinch the Nicky Rackard Cup this afternoon on a scoreline of 3-16 to 1-21.
Mayo led 0-9 to 0-3 at the end of the opening quarter and it appeared that Ray Larkin's were going to kick on and justify their tag as heavy favourites.
They were as much as 1/7 with the bookmakers after winning the Division 3 title earlier this year and came through the Nicky Rackard group stages unbeaten, but Roscommon outscored Mayo 2-5 to 0-2 in the second quarter, the goals coming from Sean Canning and Mulry, as the Rossies led 2-8 to 0-11.
Back to within one with 20 minutes to go but the green and red were left stunned as Robbie Fallon got a third goal for Roscommon. But Mayo got their act together and struck 1-5, the goal coming from Eoin Delaney on 57 minutes, to lead 1-21 to 3-12.
However, there was one last kick from a defiant Roscommon as points from Ben McGahon, Conor Mulry, Eoin Kiernan and Brendan Mulry sealed a first Nicky Rackard title for Roscommon in a decade.
