Here we go again - the Roscommon Herald SFC Team of the Week revealed
David McManus (left), excelled against Boyle and wasn't afraid to put in the hard yards as evidenced here when closing down Tadhg McKenna. Picture: Gerard O'Loughlin.
The second round of games in the Hodson Bay Senior Football Championship was akin to moving day at a golf major. Clann na nGael and Castlerea secure eye catching wins while Pádraig Pearses and Michael Glaveys grabbed vital victories to get off the mark. Here we take you through the 15 players that caught the eye and helped their side move in the right direction.
The competition for the goalkeeping spot was stiff this week with Western Gaels’ Niall Gaffrey and Castlerea’s David Farrell firmly in the mix. However, Whelan gets the nod as he was flawless in what was a vital win for a Pádraig Pearses outfit who could ill afford a second consecutive defeat. He played behind a rock solid defence with Niall Carty impressing, but Whelan made two outstanding saves at critical stages which proved decisive in their five point victory.
The corner back played a surprisingly influential role in attack with Callaghan providing great width for the Castlerea sojourns upfield. He popped up on both wings and carried possession with intent. His redeployment further up the field gave Tulsk an unexpected headache while Callaghan performed his defensive duties with aplomb and helped his side build upon the defensive platform which was so successful last season.
On a damp evening in Lisnamult last Friday, the contest between Roscommon Gaels and Oran quickly became one which would see defences on top. However, Connolly was still best on show for the Gaels as he restricted the dangerous Shane Walsh to just a point while he popped up with a lovely score of his own in the opening half. He carried possession well and always sought to inject pace into his side’s attacks.
Although the reigning champions’ defence was breached for the first time this year and they lost the second half to St. Faithleach’s 1-6 to 0-7, O’Hara Duggan excelled in defence. We have moved him back from wing back to the corner as he did a lot of fine work close to his own goal. The loss of Pearse Frost to injury was a blow but St. Brigid’s aided by O’Hara Duggan coped reasonably well.
An easy inclusion with the Pádraig Pearses man wasting little time in becoming re-acquainted with Championship fare. Although he did line out at wing forward, Daly did plenty to aid his defence. After being ineligible to play against Clann last time out, Daly showed the X-factor he can bring with three superbly taken points, all from play. He provided two assists, was a major influence from kickouts and produced a trojan performance up and down the field.
One of only two men to be included on both of the Roscommon Herald Team of the Weeks so far. Sumner led the way once more as he ensured the heart of the Clann defence remained rock solid throughout. Despite facing a Boyle outfit without Daire Cregg and Cian McKeon, it is no mean feat to hold last year’s county finalists to just nine scores in over an hour of football. Sumner’s reading of the game and ability to snuff out danger with little fuss were key ingredients in that statistic.
Walsh was a late addition to the Oran side, and he was quick to reach the pitch of the game in his first taste of Championship action this year. In what was a scrappy affair between near neighbours, Walsh brought a measure of calm and composure that others lacked on both sides. He looked sharp in possession while his physicality was useful especially with Oran under incessant pressure during the first half. He will be a key player if his side are to down Castlerea next.
Michael Glaveys’ control of the middle third in the first half played a significant role in their entertaining one point win over Western Gaels. Fitzmaurice kicked two early scores from play, provided a direct assist and was involved in an early Rob Heneghan score as his side opened up a six point to no score lead. Fitzmaurice won a crucial late kickout that effectively took the possibility of a draw off the table. Cathal Cregg is an honourable mention with three points from play for Western Gaels.
Although his brother David will deservedly take plenty of plaudits, Alan showed he is well able of operating at senior level with a polished display in midfield. In just his second Championship start after making his debut against Pádraig Pearses last time out, he did not look out of place even when coming up against Enda Smith, who did rotate between midfield and the attacking division. For the second game running, he found the target and looks a real find based on the evidence to date.
Although Adam McDermott led the scoring stakes with five points, two from play, it was Aaron McDermott who led the way for Castlerea’s attack. Aaron was the conductor from centre forward, often calling the shots as Castlerea bided their time in possession before deciding when to strike. He kicked two key scores and played a central role in his side’s valuable win over Tulsk.
It wasn’t just McManus’ five points from play that earned him this award. He was the fulcrum of many of Clann’s best moves and popped up with scores at the moments when his team needed him. The Clann attacker was the orchestrator for much of his side’s positive attacking play as his side’s willingness to play a direct style of football played to his strengths. McManus’ influence was such that Clann were not negatively affected by the absence of Ultan Harney.
Even though Western Gaels ended up on the losing side, Hester could have done little more to swing the outcome the opposite way. He was busy in the opening half but only had a converted free to show for his efforts. However, Hester exploded into life in the final period, adding seven more points, four from play, with some top class scores with the outside of the right boot. A superb performance and he will be needed once more if Western Gaels are to defeat St. Faithleach’s.
Although St. Brigid’s didn’t hit the heights they had shown in their opening round win over Michael Glaveys, Nugent was at the centre of their play when they were humming along nicely. The Roscommon U-20 captain kicked some delightful scores off either foot. He ended up as his side’s top scorer with 0-5 and showed once again why he is one of the biggest talents within the county right now.
The second man to have been named in both of the Roscommon Herald Team of the Weeks to date. Although not as influential as two weeks prior when Tulsk pulled off a famous ambush, he still finished as his side’s top scorer from open play and in general. O’Rourke kicked three points, one free, as he carried the fight against a Castlerea defence that shut down many of Tulsk’s key threats.
Led the charge in the early stages with three scores to help his side lead by six points to no score. Although he sent a penalty over the bar instead of under, he also set up a goal for Cathal Heneghan that was disallowed due to a square ball. He produced a gem of a pass to set up Andrew Glennon for a key score early in the second half. His movement off the ball and angles of running are a valuable weapon for any team he plays in.
