Roscommon edged out holders Galway by 2-16 to 3-12 in an engrossing Connacht FBD league final this afternoon at Dr Hyde Park.

At the end of a thrilling contest where played ebbed and flowed first one way, then the other, Diarmuid Murtagh won the game for the hosts with a last-gasp converted free. Galway were going for a third successive title but instead it's Roscommon who take the spoils for the fourth time.

Man of the Match Cathal Cregg notched 1-4 for the winners, while Enda Smith emphatically dispatched their second goal. Frankie Burke netted twice in the first half for Kevin Walsh's men and Dessie Conneely was the other goalscorer on a day when forwards were afforded a lot more space than usual.

When Smith planted the ball in the roof of the Tribe net early in the second half, it was looking good for the Connacht champions but Conneely hit back before Johnny Heaney blasted another Galway goal chance over the bar on 68 minutes.

Just two adrift instead of four, the Rossies snatched victory with a run of three unanswered points fromm Niall Daly and Murtagh (2).

Roscommon - J Featherston; P Neilan, P Domican, S McDermott; T McKenna, R Timothy (0-1), R Daly; C Daly, E Smith (1-1); Fintan Cregg, N Kilroy, H Walsh; D Smith (0-3, 1f), C Murtagh (0-4, 2f), C Cregg (1-4). Subs: Cathal Compton for Fintan Cregg, C Devaney for H Walsh, N Daly (0-1) for T McKenna, C Lennon for C Daly, D Murtagh (0-2, 1f) for D Smith, T McKenna for P Neilan.

Galway - R O Beolain; E Wynne, S Mulkerrin, D Wynne; G O'Donnell, J Duane, J Heaney (0-1); C Duggan, T Flynn (0-1); R Finnerty (0-1f), B McHugh (0-4, 2f), E Finnerty (0-1); P Cunningham (0-1), S Armstrong (0-2), F Burke (2-0). Subs: D Conneely (1-0) for F Burke, A Varley (0-1) for P Cunningham, C D'Arcy for B McHugh, G Bradshaw for J Heaney.

Referee - E O'Grady.

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