Heneghan's heroes battle back from the brink
Mayo's Niall People in a battle for possession with two Roscommon defenders. Picture: Mayo GAA
A spirited fightback by the Mayo U17 hurlers saw them overcome home side Roscommon after extra-time to book their spot in the Celtic Challenge final.
Showing bravery and courage beyond their years, they overturned eight point deficits in the first and second halves for a memorable win last Saturday.
Roscommon will be kicking themselves that they did not see the game out on both occasions, particularly when David Mannion hit the post which could have extended the gap to eleven points before half-time.
Led by Oisin Duffy in the middle of the park, Mayo regrouped on both occasions to reel them back in, with goals by Fionn Delaney and Niall Peoples and a free by Duffy in additional time bringing it to extra-time. From there, the outcome seemed inevitable.
The sides were locked at two points apiece when David Mannion found the net for the Rossies on eight minutes. It was the start of a purple patch for the hosts as Eoghan Morris, Oisin Finneran (two) and Adam Beckett (two) made it 1-7 to 0-2 at the end of the first quarter.
Mayo were struggling to get on any ball and they breathed a sigh of relief when Mannion hit the post with Mayo ‘keeper Liam Heneghan beaten.
Fionn Conlon ended a 16-minute wait for Mayo’s third point but they would also hit the next three through Peoples (two) and Duffy after Beckett nailed his second point. Finneran, a free, pushed the gap back out to six but Mayo were unfortunate not to halve that after Fionn Delaney muscled past two Roscommon defenders only to hit the crossbar.
Roscommon led 1-9 to 0-6 at the break but the gap was brought back to one after two Fionn Delaney frees and a goal by Niall Peoples. Mayo’s tails were up but Roscommon hit back with 1-4, the goal coming from substitute Dylan Ryan. He contributed two of the points as well, with Roscommon’s others coming from Finneran and Eoghan Morris to make it 2-13 to 1-8 with 12 minutes to go.
Mayo bounced back brilliantly as Fionn Delaney hit 1-1 and a point from Oisin Duffy made it a one score game coming into stoppage-time. Sean Heneghan’s side were winning all the ball across the pitch, as Duffy, a free, and Fionn Conlon brought it back to a point before Duffy’s monster’s fee just inside the 65-metre line ensured extra-time.
Two minutes into the first period, Mayo took the lead for the very first time through Niall Peoples. Two frees by Finneran brought it back level after David Delaney’s first point but Mayo took a lead into the second period after another effort by Delaney and Ben Joyce’s first point.
Finneran, a free, and Adam Beckett brought it back level but despite hitting four wides in the second period of extra-time, Fionn Conlon, Oisin Duffy and Fionn Delaney booked Mayo’s spot in the final against Laois on the June Bank Holiday weekend.
