‘It’s always a fantastic day when Roscommon come over here’
Paul Coggins felt that Roscommon did all that was asked of them against London at McGovern Park, Ruislip, on Saturday afternoon. Picture: INPHO/Gerry McManus
The Rossies travelled in huge numbers, and they’ll go home relatively satisfied.
A 19-point victory against London will suffice for now, but there are bigger fish to fry in a few weeks’ time.
For a team with only one win in five games, seeing Ben O’Carroll and Ciaráin Murtagh strut their stuff on the lush green sward of McGovern Park hinted that maybe, just maybe, Roscommon are about to find their feet again and usurp the narrative that a “traditional final” between Galway and Mayo beckons to decipher who are the high kings of Connacht in 2025.
That was the inclination of former London manager and Michael Glaveys native, Paul Coggins, as he reflected on what he felt was a polished display by Davy Burke’s men in Ruislip on Saturday afternoon.
“I thought that it was a very good performance from Roscommon. London had their time obviously in the middle of the first half. They did very well, but Roscommon had the breeze in the second half and were outstanding. You couldn’t have asked for any more.
“They brought on the game-changers, as I referred to them, and they made an impact. The tenacity of Roscommon, and their tackling gave London absolutely no chance. There’s a big gulf between Division One and Four — it was clear to see that today.
“It’s alright talking about it, but you still have to do it. Roscommon came out and had the proper attitude. They put the game to bed.
“If there is a negative, it was the amount of wides they hit, especially in the second half. With the amount of shots they had, however, it’s not something that will unduly worry them,” he reflected.
Earlier in the afternoon, Coggins oversaw a London victory against Warwickshire in the All-Britain Football Championship, and there was no doubt in his mind what this red-letter day meant to the people, especially folk with Roscommon connections, that promoted Gaelic games in these parts.
“To see Roscommon here today is brilliant for us. I can see a load of people from home. Obviously, there are a lot of Roscommon people here in London.
“It’s fantastic — it only happens once every five years. It’s great to see a county like Roscommon over here, Division One footballers. It’s great for the youngsters, it’s great for Gaelic football. We want to be part of Connacht, we want it to keep happening.
“We’d be disappointed with our second-half display today. But London were only allowed to play the way they played. They couldn’t get on the ball. Roscommon did well and we wish them the very best of luck. It’s always a fantastic day when Roscommon come over here.”
And what of the Rossies’ prospects for the rest of the campaign in the eyes of the man that led London to their only Connacht senior football final in 2013?
“I think they’ll get on well. They’ve done well to get out of Division Two, and people need to remember that. It’s a tough division to get out of — the most competitive division in the whole league.
“I think today’s game will stand to them. People might say ‘ah sure it’s only London’, but London played very well in the league. They were well-prepared for that game today, but Roscommon put in a huge performance.
“I think the Connacht championship will be very competitive. Everyone is thinking that Galway are the favourites to win the Nestor Cup but I really think that Roscommon will have something to say about that. Further down the line, I can see them giving teams plenty of problems,” he concluded.
