DAVY BURKE described his Roscommon side’s victory against Down as ‘chaotic’ and ‘mental’.
The Rossies recovered from seven down early in the second half to prevail at Dr Hyde Park.
Burke’s boys scored two goals and missed a penalty in the opening half as wind-assisted Down surged into the lead.
But the hosts bounced back, aided by Ciaráin Murtagh’s rocket.
Burke said: “It was chaotic, it’s mental. We could’ve been five up or five down at half-time. There was no big panic.
“We had the likes of Ciaráin Murtagh, Ben O’Carroll, Donie Smith and Senan Lambe to bring on. We felt they could get us over the line and they did.”
The Rossies had a dream start when Enda Smith netted but he later missed from the spot. And Down nailed six two-pointers — four from Pat Havern — to lead 1-14 to 2-6 at the break.
The big moment came on 58 minutes. Rossies debutant Colm Neary made a block and fed Cian McKeon, who teed up Murtagh to kick to an empty net from 40 yards.
ROSCOMMON: C Carroll; C Neary, P Frost, N Higgins; B Stack, S Cunnane 0-2tp, T Lambe; E Nolan 0-1, K Doyle; S Killoran 0-1, U Harney, E Smith 1-1; D Murtagh 0-7, 1tp, 3f, C McKeon 1-1, D Cregg 0-4, 2f, Subs: C Murtagh 1-2, 1tp for Killoran h-t, S Lambe for T Lambe 37 mins, B O’Carroll 0-1 for Harney 37, D Ruane for Doyle 46, D Smith 0-1 for Ruane 60.
DOWN: J O’Hare; P Fegan; R McEvoy 1-2, 1tp, HP McGeary; P McCarthy 0-1, P Laverty; E McCrickard; D Guinness, O Murdock 0-1; C Doherty, J Guinness 0-2tp, D Magill 0-2; G McKibben 0-1, P Havern 0-11, 3tpf, 1tp, 2f, R Magill. Subs: M Rooney for McGeary 27 mins, C McCrickard for E McCrickard 62, O Savage for O’Hare 66.
REFEREE: N Cullen (Fermanagh).
