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Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Roscommon have a chance
Sligo footballers have captured the imagination of the GAA public in recent months and few teams would relish meeting them at any stage of the championship.
I was in Sligo last week and there is now an unprecedented football fever in the county that the victories over Mayo and Galway have sparked off.
They play an exciting, attractive brand of football and Sligo would rank as one of the teams of this year’s championship so far. It is little wonder that they are overwhelming favourites to beat Roscommon in next Sunday’s Connacht final in McHale Park, Castlebar.
As the teams stand at present, Sligo would have to be rated seven or eight points a better team than Roscommon. If their league ratings are anything to go by, Sligo would certainly be well ahead of us.
They both played in Division Three this year but they went in opposite directions when the league was over.
Sligo won Division Three and gained promotion to Division Two, but Roscommon ended up on the bottom of the table and took the drop to Division Four. Sligo played superbly against Antrim in the Division Three final in Croke Park, scoring 17 of their 19 points from play.
That form continued as they dismissed Mayo in Markievicz Park and then went on to draw with Galway in Pearse Stadium. They had some critics after that game because they let a nine-point lead slip.
They showed great maturity and composure in beating Galway in the replay in Markievicz Park. Galway played well in that replay but Sligo’s never-say-die attitude saw them come from behind to win by 1-14 to 0-16 in a pulsating match.
The Yeats County was helped by a major blunder by Galway wing half-back Gareth Bradshaw when he attempted a back pass to his goalkeeper from a sideline kick 40 yards out from goals.
David Kelly gratefully accepted the pass and gave goalkeeper Adrian Faherty no chance from close range.
Galway replied with three unanswered points but Sligo refused to throw in the towel and superb points from Mark Breheny and Colm McGee edged them in front in the end.
Sligo have a strong panel. There is strength in depth in this team.
Adrian Marren was introduced for the replay and scored three points from play. Colm McGee and Kenneth Sweeney were both introduced as substitutes and both scored from play.
Every line in this Sligo team is strong and has pace to burn. Goalkeeper Philip Greene, the son of Roscommon parents, is solid between the posts.
Charlie Harrison must have one hand on an All-Star award already. He is an attacking corner-back but he is still back to defend when needed. Ross Donovan in the other corner is another fine footballer.
Wing-backs Keelan Cawley and Johnny Davey love to go forward and Davey, too, must be in contention for an All-Star award this year.
Midfielders Tony Taylor and Stephen Gilmartin or Eugene Mullen and Gilmartin are fine ball winners and many of Sligo’s attacks are launched due to their dominance.
Mark Breheny turned in a Man of the Match display against Galway in the replay. He is a great worker and a fantastic playmaker. He tormented Roscommon in the recent league game in Markievicz Park.
Then there is always Eamon O’Hara, the spiritual leader of the team. It is a tribute to this Sligo team that they no longer depend on the Tourlestrane man, but he is still a valuable presence in their lineout. Alan Costello, the former Mayo player, has added strength and running to the attack.
Roscommon-born David Kelly is now justifiably regarded as one of the top forwards in the game. David was born in Roscommon town and attended primary school there until the family moved to Tubbercurry where his father is a bank manager.
It has to be said that Roscommon’s loss is certainly Sligo’s gain. He is almost certain to get an All-Star award this year.
UNDERDOGS
Sligo play an all-action, in your face style of football. They display a great hunger and they work hard to win the dirty ball that breaks in the middle third of the field.
Roscommon are weak at winning the breaks. So, have Roscommon any chance? I think so. A final is a final and anything can happen.
Few gave Sligo a chance of beating Galway in Hyde Park in 2007 and look what happened. Galway had an off day and Sligo pipped them with a Michael McNamara point in the end.
This has been a year of surprises. Who would have thought at the start of the year that Mayo and Galway would be gone out of the championship while Roscommon are still in it?
Louth, the only team Roscommon beat in the league, should have beaten Meath in the Leinster final.
They would have beaten them if Joe Sheridan’s ‘try’ wasn’t allowed.
Paul the German Octopus would have a great time if he was predicting this year’s championship. Roscommon will be rank outsiders and they relish the role of underdogs. Sligo will be under pressure to deliver.
They have peaked four times already this year in the league final, in the Mayo game and in the two games against Galway. Is there a chance that they are now saying to themselves that it is “only Roscommon” in the final?
The burden of expectation on the shoulders of the Sligo players is huge. I have even heard one or two Sligo supporters suggesting that there might be an All-Ireland in this team. That kind of talk is no help to the players. Who would have predicted that Wexford would beat Galway in Pearse Stadium?
Does that raise the question about the worth of this year’s Galway team and does it take the gloss off Sligo’s win?
I believe that Sligo will win this final but not as easily as many people are expecting. I wouldn’t dismiss Roscommon’s chances and I find that confidence has been growing in the county over the past few days.
For Roscommon to win, a few things need to happen. They will have to tear into the battle from the start.
It is important that they don’t concede a goal early on. They will have to fight for every ball and they must win the breaks around midfield.
They will have to stop giving the ball away cheaply. The forwards will need to up their performance from the Leitrim game.
They went 28 minutes without scoring in that game. That wouldn’t do in a provincial final.
They cannot be depending on Donie Shine all the time. Each player must up his game and work rate by at least 50 per cent.
Forwards must work hard for each other to create space. Roscommon have nothing to lose.
There is very little pressure on the players. All the pressure is on Sligo. Due to a prior commitment that I must honour, I will not be able to go to the game. I will be watching it on television and I will be there in spirit.
I know that all readers of this column will wish the team every success on Sunday. It might even be a draw and we could all be back in Hyde Park next Saturday week.
LAST MEETING IN CASTLEBAR
The last time Roscommon and Sligo met in McHale Park, Castlebar, in a competitive game was in the replay of the national football league semi-final in 1974. The teams drew 0-12 each in an exciting game in Croke Park.
Roscommon completely dominated the first-half of the drawn game and led at half-time by 0-9 to 0-3.
It was a different story in the secondhalf when a Mickey Kearins inspired Sligo made a dramatic comeback. Kearins scored 0-8 in that second-half. It was only a late point from substitute Michael McNamara from an acute angle that earned the draw for Roscommon. Sligo dominated the first half of the replay and led at half-time by 0-6 to 0-5.
Roscommon turned in a magnificent second-half display in which the great Dermot Earley gave an exhibition. He scored 0-11 of Roscommon’s total, 0-9 from frees. Roscommon ran out fairly comfortable winners by 0-16 to 0-10.
The teams met in the championship again that summer and once again the game ended in a draw in Markievicz Park, Roscommon 2-8, Sligo 1-11.
Roscommon won the replay in Hyde Park by 0-13 to 0-8. The Roscommon scorers that day were Dermot Earley (0-7), John O’Gara and Mickey Freyne (0-2) each, John Kelly and Michael McNamara (0-1) each. It was Roscommon’s first championship win in Hyde Park.
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