ROSCOMMON STAR JENNY Higgins has recalled the “very bizarre” goal they conceded against Down in their league clash on Sunday, in which the Ulster side kicked the ball into an empty net while their opponents were still returning from the first water break.

Roscommon conceded a very strange goal in their league clash with Down.

Source: Clare Noone Twitter

Roscommon went on to book a place Division 3A semi-finals with a 5-15 to 3-12 victory at Kiltoom despite conceding the unusual score.

A clip of the moment has been circulated online today, showing the Down team restart the play after the water break. They carry possession up the field and proceed to score the goal unopposed as the Roscommon players rush back onto the pitch from their team huddle.

“It was kind of a kick in the teeth really,” Higgins began in conversation with the media today. She was speaking at the announcement of Glenveagh Homes as new sponsors of the LGFA’s Gaelic4Girls Programme.

“We had done quite well in the first 15 minutes and had a goal at that stage.

“I can’t remember how much we were up, but he [the referee] blew the whistle and we were just kind of maybe casually making our way back, because it was a really hot day.”

Higgins points out that it was around 25 degrees in Kiltoom during the game, which is why they were slightly delayed in getting back on the pitch in time for the resumption.

“It was really hot yesterday, so we may have taken an extra couple of seconds I suppose,” she continues. “But he allowed play to continue, and Down went ahead and got a goal in the back of the net.

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“It was very bizarre, but fair play to our team – we responded really well and I think we went up and got our own score at the other end of the pitch.

“But you just had to get on with it at the time, it’s only today now that the clip emerged and you can see how bizarre it really was. I’m not sure, it’s something that we’ll definitely have to look into. Is that actually a rule, can that actually be done?

We were lucky we came away with a win. If you look closely the officials were not back on their lines either and down got a goal out of it?????? https://t.co/oK4sZgbb6a

— Roscommon LGFA (@RoscommonLGFA) May 31, 2021

“Obviously it is if the referee officiated it, but it’s fair to say it won’t happen to us again anyway. We learned for the second water break, we were the first team back out on the pitch just in case.”

Higgins adds that they didn’t ask referee Ciaran Groome about the incident at the time, although she says that a conversation may have been required “if we’d lost by a goal.”

She also said that their understanding around the rule for water breaks is “it’s down to the discretion of the ref.”

“I don’t think you can blame Down realistically,” she adds when asked about Down’s part in the goal. “It was a very important game for both teams. Down had lost the previously so they really needed to win that game yesterday. They were just doing what the officials said to do so I definitely wouldn’t hold any grudges against them in what they did.

“I can’t say if we’d do the same thing. You probably would, you’re just doing what the officials say at the end of the day. It’s just a bizarre one, something we had never heard of and we were just running back trying to get back on the line, just wondering if he was just telling us to hurry up or what it was?”

Roscommon are under new management this year following the appointment of former Mayo star and All-Ireland winning captain, Diane O’Hora.

That nine-point win over Down was Roscommon’s second win in the group stage of the league following an impressive result against Fermanagh last weekend.

They will now face Sligo in a crunch tie to decide who tops the group before the league semi-finals.

Roscommon’s Jenny Higgins pictured at the announcement of Glenveagh Homes as new sponsors of the LGFA’s Gaelic4Girls Programme.

Source: Sportsfile

“When we heard Diane was taking over, it was an exciting appointment,” says Higgins. “It’s going really well, completely different I suppose.

“It’s very new, very fresh and it is taking us a while to try and adjust to the different style of management and the management team.

“But that’s kind of just natural progression, we have hit the ground running with two wins and we are fairly happy with that, but we still have a lot of work to do and a lot of fine-tuning to match up to what her expectations are of the team.

“She comes with new ideas, she was appointed early last season so she was able to watch all of our championship campaign.

“I was playing full-forward yesterday but I still offer a lot at midfield and I ended up coming out there in the end. She’s just trying to find the balance with us, as well as we’re trying to find where we fit into the team and you are happy enough to play once you’re on the pitch.”

Originally published at 14.58

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