The handicap for Roscommon vs New York was 21.
The wait for history might go on for New York, but they came within a hair of claiming one of the great Gaelic football scalps in the Bronx on Sunday night.
The Big Apple outfit, containing former Galway hurler Johnny Glynn, pushed the Rossies to the bitter end - and having trailed by four points at the break finished just a single point behind their Connacht neighbours of over 3,000 miles.
It took a late Senan Kilbride score to keep the minimum distance between the two sides, with the score at full-time Roscommon 1-15 New York 0-17.
Needless to say the reaction of the media was one of sheer bemusement, while Roscommon fans once more questioned their side's mettle ahead of what was supposed to be a massive year for their footballers, following a promising league campaign in Division 1.
Roscommon "escape from New York" https://t.co/LJ5uterX7M pic.twitter.com/CwmKPLPerC
— Roscommon Daily (@RoscommonDaily) May 1, 2016
Full time from Gaelic Park in the Bronx. Roscommon 1-15 New York 0-17 ! A bit close for comfort if you are from Roscommon ! Great display NY
— Marty Morrissey (@MartyM_RTE) May 1, 2016
Spent the last hour following New York (0-17)- Roscommon (1-15) game. What an effort by @NewYorkGAA -they got more scores than the Rossies!
— Des Cahill (@sportsdes) May 1, 2016
New York's preparation was a couple of challenge matches against NY clubs and a game against Philadelphia. Roscommon went to Div One semis.
— Kieran Cunningham (@KCsixtyseven) May 1, 2016
Roscommon by the skin of their teeth. Impeccable showing from New York by most accounts. #GAA
— John Fogarty (@JohnFogartyIrl) May 1, 2016
Roscommon for the Connaught 🙊
— Conor.mortimer (😷)⚽️ (@Conmort) May 1, 2016
"Roscommon look like a team that have lost" says Willie Hegarty on @ShannonsideFM as Rossies warm down after 1 point win in @NewYorkGAA
— Oisin Langan (@oisinlangan) May 1, 2016
Roscommon so confident beating NewYork they started with only 14 men pic.twitter.com/TpdyT95GoS
— Eamonn O’ Hara (@EamonnOHara8) May 1, 2016
So Roscommon beat both cork and Kerry this year and only beat New York by 1 point. Kerry hurlers win a Leinster shc game #bonkers #gaa
— Wayne O ‘Donnell (@wayneod5) May 1, 2016
Rossies for Connacht 2016? Dream on.....
— Declan Varley (@declanvarley) May 1, 2016
Roscommon just manage to sneak out of New York with the win. Almost the biggest shock in GAA history. All Ireland contenders they said...
— Alan Flatley (@alflats11) May 1, 2016
Eight million people and New York can't even beat Roscommon.
— Fredorrarci (@Fredorrarci) May 1, 2016
The bus was parked in the big apple as Roscommon squeak by New York #connachtfootball #NYvROS pic.twitter.com/1BBnfVnLhe
— Declan Burke (@DeclanBurke2) May 1, 2016
Absolutely woeful stuff from Roscommon. Beating New York by a point. Season promised so much but they can forget it, they'll go nowhere :(
— Chris Hardiman ☕🎸🚨🏈📺 (@AJoyForever83) May 1, 2016
@ciaranmullooly we were lucky. Sweating myself!
— Hilary Sexton (@hilaryemikh) May 1, 2016
The Rossies will now take on Leitrim in the Connacht Championship quarter-final in three weeks' time. On the flip side, it's with a great shame that New York's Championship season comes to an end after one of their greatest ever performances.
