Stack on the double as Rossies hit the Rebels for four

Roscommon 4-9 Cork 3-9

VICTORY: Roscommon’s Colin Compton and his manager Anthony Cunningham after yesterday’s win over Cork. Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile

Anthony Cunningham's Roscommon concluded their summer on a winning note in yesterday's battle to avoid the 'wooden spoon' in Group 2 of the quarter-finals at Páirc Uí Rinn.

The Connacht champions trailed by one point at the break, 2-5 to 1-7, before Brian Stack's goal, his second of the contest, put the Rossies on the way to victory.

Conor Cox and Andrew Glennon did the approach work for Stack to rattle the Rebels net in the 52nd minute and when Enda Smith put the finishing touches for a goal on a fine move on the hour mark, Cunningham's side were four points to the good.

Cork replied with a James Loughrey goal, but Ros' got their noses back in front and held on until the final whistle. Goal number four arrived late on for Roscommon when Shane Killoran dove-tailed to telling effect with Stack.

Victory ensured that Roscommon did not go the two summers of the Super 8s without a win.

The early indications suggested it was going to be the home side's day as they quickly moved into a 1-2 to 0-0 lead inside the opening four minutes.

Luke Connolly converted two early frees and in between cut out a Darren O'Malley kickout before feeding Mark Collins for the opening goal.

Connolly, however, spurned a great goal opportunity ten minutes before the break with his side 1-5 to 0-5 clear after Roscommon had battled their way into contention courtesy of the deadball accuracy of Conor Cox and one point from play from Enda Smith.

The first half concluded with plenty of excitement with, firstly, Cathal Cregg setting up Stack for his first goal which brought the sides level.

Cork, though, responded almost immediately with Connolly punching home an Eoghan McSweeney delivery into the danger area in the 29th minute.

The Rebels failed to score again in the half with points from Killoran and Cox reducing the margin to the minimum.

In first-half added time, Paul Kerrigan and Roscommon's Niall Daly were black-carded.

On the restart, Andrew Glennon brought Roscommon level and while two Mark Collins frees had Cork back in front, it was the last time they led.

Stack's second goal propelled the Rossies into the lead and they were the stronger outfit going down the stretch.

SCORERS - Roscommon: B Stack 2-0, C Cox 0-5 (0-5f), E Smith, S Killoran 1-1 each, A Glennon (0-1f), D Smith 0-1 each. Cork: L Connolly 1-3 (0-3f), M Collins 1-2 (0-2f), J Loughrey 1-0, J O'Rourke, K O'Driscoll, R Deane, S Sherlock 0-1 each.

ROSOMMON: D O'Malley; D Murray, C Daly, G Patterson; N Daly, R Daly, C Hussey; T O'Rourke, S Killoran; B Stack, C Cregg, N Kilroy; E Smith, C Cox, A Glennon. Subs: C Compton for N Daly (bc, ht), A Lyons for Hussey (45), F Cregg for C Cregg (45), D Smith for Kilroy (55), D Murtagh for Glennon (57), H Darcy for Compton (bc, 69).

CORK: M Martin; K Flahive, J Loughrey, T Clancy; S Cronin, S White, M Taylor; I Maguire, K O'Hanlon; E McSweeney, R Deane, K O'Driscoll; P Kerrigan, M Collins, L Connolly. Subs: J O'Rourke for Kerrigan (bc, ht), M Hurley for McSweeney (ht), B Hurley for Collins (57), C Kiely for Cronin (59), R O'Toole for Clancy (63), S Sherlock for Connolly (70).

REF: N Mooney (Cavan).