JACK McCarron climbed off the bench and kicked Monaghan to the NFL Division 2 title – their first silverware in a decade.
Boss Gabriel Bannigan said he held his experienced attacker in reserve so that he’d have him on the pitch for the crucial finale.
And the plan worked a treat with McCarron sniping 1-2 in the closing quarter to secure a third ever Division 2 title for the Farney.
Monaghan trailed by a point at half-time and were still only two points ahead with 57 minutes played.
But McCarron’s goal gave them vital breathing room and the 2015 Ulster champions kicked on with a series of stunning scores.
They blitzed Roscommon by 1-6 to 0-1 in the closing minutes with goalkeeper Rory Beggan blasting his third two-pointer of the evening to secure the 10-point win.
Monaghan struck six two-pointers in all and brought all of their Division 1 experience to the table having played there for 10 seasons until relegation last year.
Bannigan will be delighted too with the performance of his nephew, Micheal, who struck 0-5 while Dylan Byrne came of age at Croke Park with a Man of the Match performance.
Manager Bannigan praised McCarron and said: “Jack came off the bench in Navan as well, against Meath, and made a big contribution.
“We knew the final this evening was going to be helter skelter for the first 20, 25 minutes.
“So we went with a team to start the game and we said that we wanted Jack McCarron on the pitch for the business end and that’s what we did.
“Everybody wants to start, every player wants to be in the 26 but what we are trying to mould within the group is a first 15 that’s hard to get into and a first 2 that’s hard to get into as well.”
Monaghan aren’t in Ulster SFC action until April 20 when they’ll face Derry or Donegal.
So they could give their full focus to signing off on their spring campaign with a national win.
Roscommon, meanwhile, probably had one eye on next Saturday’s trip to Ruislip to play London in the Connacht SFC.
Bannigan said: “Without a doubt the cards fell right for us in that regard. Whatever about it being a help, we certainly didn’t have any distraction.
“We were able to come here and let the lads go for it. Listen, there is no doubt I wouldn’t want to be going out and playing Championship football next weekend.”
Roscommon manager Davy Burke felt his side was right in it until being burned off in the closing 15 minutes. Monaghan outscored them by 1-6 to 0-1 in that period.
Burke said: “Fair play to Monaghan, they pulled clear. It is probably difficult for the players and ourselves to juggle with such a big game next Saturday as well and obviously in a different country and all that type of stuff.
“The performance for a long time was positive but obviously the result wasn’t. But look, we got out without too many knocks.”
Roscommon were sitting pretty at half-time with a 0-12 to 0-11 lead.
The Murtagh brothers, Diarmuid and Ciarain, kicked five points between them while Ben O’Carroll and Ruaidhri Fallon snatched eye-catching scores.
But missed opportunities cost Roscommon and both Diarmuid Murtagh and O’Carroll wasted goal chances.
It caught up on them in that final quarter because the game was hanging in the balance at 0-20 to 0-18 in Monaghan’s favour.
The Farney took off from there and showed that 10 years in Division 1 has stood to them.
They kicked three two-pointers in a row at one stage in the second-half and Beggan hammered another late on to gloss the scoreline.
Monaghan 1-26
Roscommon 0-19
Monaghan: R Beggan 0-7, 3 tpf, 1 45; R Wylie 0-1, R O’Toole, D Byrne; D Ward 0-2, tp, A Carey, C McCarthy 0-2, tp; G Mohan 0-1, M McCarville; R McAnespie 0-1, M Bannigan 0-5, 1tp, C McNulty 0-1; D Garland, A Woods 0-3, 1f, S O’Hanlon 0-1.
Subs: J McCarron 1-2 for Garland 45, S Mooney for McAnespie 58, J Irwin for Carey 67, J Wilson for McNulty 68, K Duffy for McCarthy 70.
Roscommon: C Carroll 0-1, 1 45); N Higgins, J McManus, D Murray; C Neary, R Fallon 0-1, D Ruane; E Nolan 0-1, K Doyle; C Lennon, C McKeon 0-2, C Murtagh 0-2, 2f; B O’Carroll 0-1, D Murtagh 0-8, 4f, 1tp, E Smith 0-2.
Subs: R Daly for Fallon 35, S Lambe for Higgins 38-50, blood, C Hand for Lennon 43, U Harney for Doyle 52, D Smith 0-1 for McKeon 55, C Heneghan for C Murtagh 62.
Ref: B Tiernan (Dublin).
