Favourites Galway lost out to Roscommon by 1-11 to 1-13 in the opening round of the Aisling McGing u-21 Championship.
Galway, with seven players from the senior panel, found themselves behind after 10 minutes before Roisin Leonard and Nicola Kilgarrif gave Galway the lead midway through the half.
Roscommon replied with five unanswered points as Galway struggled with the movement of their opponents. However Nicola Kilgarrif provided Galway with a lifeline when she found the back of the net in the 25th minute after some brillant link play with Charlotte Cooney. And when Niamh Thornton pointed in the final minute of the half, the two sides were level at the break, Galway 1-04 Roscommon 0-07.
Roisin Leonard added a free within two minutes of the restart, but this was the only time that Galway would lead in the half. The Rossies hit back with a goal by Laura Brudell and points from Caoiliann Beirne and Sorcha Bruen. Another Leonard free and a point from Charlotte Cooney kept Galway in touch, but Roscommon answered every Galway score.
Points from Caroline Gunning, Saffron Cull and two from Meabh Holmes kept Roscommon on top, while Galway closed the half with two each from Leonard and Kilgarrif to leave them two adrift at the final whistle.
There was better luck for the u-14 team when they captured the Connacht title in Ballyhaunis, easily defeating Leitrim in the B final. Best on the day were Chloe Meskill with 7 points, Ailish Morissey with 1-03 and Andrea Trill with 3-01.
