Roscommon have the ‘raw quality’ but form isn’t there, says Keegan

Roscommon have the ‘raw quality’ but form isn’t there — Keegan Former Footballer of the Year and Mayo defender, Lee Keegan, believes that Roscommon have the personnel to beat his native county on Sunday, but the Rossies’ poor form this season, and the venue, make Kevin McStay’s men favourites to advance to the Connacht final.

Roscommon haven’t beaten Mayo in the Hyde in the championship since 2001, and Keegan, writing in his RTÉ column, revealed that he never lost at the Roscommon Town stadium during his playing career.

“I never lost a game in Hyde Park throughout my career — although it might be a touch provocative for cross-border relations to describe it as 'our fortress'.

“The pitch is great, it suits Mayo better in my view. There's great width to it,” he felt.

“Roscommon live for taking down Mayo and Galway in Connacht but they don't look in rude health at the minute.

“They seem to have regressed in the league and have bogged down in that slow, cumbersome possession game, which I think opposition teams have gotten cannier at counteracting.

“Last year, Davy Burke sounded bullish and enthusiastic in all his interviews. This spring, we're hearing an awful lot of excuses. Especially around injuries, even though every team was impacted by them and some far more so than Roscommon.

“On paper, their attack is still dangerous. Enda Smith is an All-Star but no more than Ryan 'O’Donoghue, he needs help. Diarmuid Murtagh, a brilliant footballer, but can he chip in with four or five points? Is Ben O'Carroll back from injury? It's a big year for Daire Cregg off that back of his Sigerson performances.

“They have the raw quality, I just don't think the form is there and they're not playing with enough confidence and fluidity,” he said.

Ian Cooney