Quality shines through on bumper weekend of club football
Ronan Daly, pictured here halting the run of Cathal Heneghan has been selected on the Roscommon Herald Team of the Week after helping Pádraig Pearses progress through to a semi final showdown with Boyle
After the busiest weekend of the year, the competition for places didn't diminish in the latest Roscommon Herald Team of the Week.
On a weekend of statement wins, Boyle, St. Brigid's and Strokestown all possess two players in our selection with 12 clubs represented in total. Here we take you through the 15 players that rose highest when the stakes were at their greatest.
The Strokestown shotstopper has enjoyed an excellent campaign to date and once more he caught the eye. His biggest moment of the game and indeed this year’s championship came when he saved John Curran’s penalty in the 15th minute. Curley kicked three points including a rousing two-point free early in the second half to take his tally to 0-10 for the campaign. He just beats out Cian Trimble and Conor Carroll for the first place on the team.
The Boyle defender was crucial in curbing the significant influence of James Fitzpatrick with his performance a cornerstone of his side’s triumph. Glennon won the turnover that led to his side’s first goal on an afternoon where he won possession back for his side at crucial junctures. He limited Fitzpatrick to just a solitary score from play in what was a sharp display.
The Dalys are not headline grabbers but possessing any of the brothers’ big game experience is invaluable when it comes to knockout football. Ronan Daly saw his side be second best to Michael Glaveys for much of normal time but time and again the Pádraig Pearses centre back was able to help his side relieve pressure and move them in the right direction. Once more, Daly was crucial to a dogged Pearses win.
Fuerty brought their renowned battling spirit on Saturday last but crucially St. Dominic’s possessed the extra sprinkling of quality to prevail. Eoin McCormack provided a healthy dose of quality as he kicked an outrageous two-pointer just after Fuerty had moved three points ahead. McCormack and Eoin Ward didn’t encounter each other as much as expected but the St. Dominic’s man still brought his class to every facet of the game.
The Strokestown captain was crucial to his side reaching their first county senior semi final since 2022. His errant back pass which led to a John Curran goal chance in the fifth minute was his first and only mistake. He kicked a classy score moments after and from there, his crisp passing and constant communication with teammates, especially when Castlerea threatened a late revival, was key.
On an evening when St. Michael’s had to go the extra mile, nobody was more willing to do so than Ruadhan Henry. His constant runs off the shoulders of teammates were imperative on a tough evening for free-flowing football. Whether it was relieving defensive pressure in his sweeper role or popping up on the loop to kick a crucial score, Henry was imperative in his side setting up a rematch with Éire Óg.
Boyle wing back Tadhg McKenna proved a handful for Oran on Sunday last as he was a ball of energy on his side’s left flank. Although Boyle’s attackers enjoyed their moments, Mckenna was a model of consistency over the hour as he executed the defensive side of his game while helping to propel his outfit forward at every opportunity.
Although Michael Glaveys will harbour huge regrets over squandering a guilt edge chance to secure a semi final berth, the performance of Niall Heneghan will slightly ease the pain. Heneghan was immense, dominating the skies and running himself to a standstill. Yet he was still able to supply the equaliser to bring the game to extra time. Another marquee performance from the Roscommon U-20 footballer.
O’Rourke produced a classy display once more as he helped Tulsk produce their best display of the year to swat aside the challenge of Creggs. He has arguably been the best player in this year’s intermediate championship. He lined out at centre forward but helped his side win the midfield battle. The timing of his runs should be studied by young aspiring footballers while his accuracy in recent games has been unerring.
Although Éire Óg’s 0-17 to 0-13 win over Shannon Gaels may have gone under the radar on a busy weekend of action, Cahill’s performance did not. He was an energetic presence in the middle third for his side when it was lacking in what was a patchy performance by Éire Óg. He was both hungry for breaks and composed in front of the posts as Cahill slotted over three points from play.
The St. Brigid’s attacker continuously punched holes in the Roscommon Gaels rearguard. Hand kicked three opening half scores, with two classy efforts off his left catching the eye as his link up play with Bobby Nugent caused Roscommon Gaels no end of problems in the opening period. Hand showed his attacking instincts to be in the right position to bag his goal to cap an all-action display.
Dean Casey and Dessie Carlos can find themselves unfortunate not to be included but Garvin was terrific as Ballinameen produced a statement of intent in their comprehensive win over Kilbride. Garvin finished with 1-2 but there was a sense of danger every time he had possession of the size five O’Neill’s football. Plus his pass for Adam Dwyer’s goal was one of the moments of the weekend.
McManus just edges out Ultan Harney as the Clann attacker played a pivotal role in Clann avoiding disaster and suffering relegation to the intermediate ranks. After a Ciaráin Murtagh inspired fightback by St. Faithleach’s in the third quarter, three timely scores in the final 15 minutes alongside a crucial two-pointer in the opening half went a long way towards helping Clann maintain their senior status.
The St. Brigid’s dynamo has been unfortunate not to be selected on more Team of the Weeks but his 1-5 on Sunday last mean he was impossible to ignore. That tally could have been 2-5 but despite seeing an effort cleared off the line, O’Carroll continuously timed his runs off ball to perfection. He has kicked 2-24 in this year’s championship with 2-21 from play. Sometimes his mercurial talent can be taken for granted but once more he produced some highlight reel plays.
Bolger just beats out Gearoid Ennis (Fuerty) and St. Croan's' Aidan Brogan for the final spot in the team. When Kilglass Gaels gave any decent supply of possession to Bolger in their Junior A quarter final against Boyle, he proved unstoppable. The corner forward was pitch perfect, bagging 1-6 inside the opening 34 minutes. The supply line towards him went dry thereafter but he had done enough to seal his side’s semi final spot.
