Roscommon must stop conceding goals
SPOT ON: Enda Smith beats Rory Beggan from the penalty spot during the league meeting between Roscommon and Monaghan at King and Moffatt Dr. Hyde Park earlier this year. Both players will have key roles in Saturday's maiden championship encounter between the counties. Picture: INPHO/Andrew Paton
Ahead of this Saturday’s clash against Monaghan in Clones, Mark Dowd and his Roscommon players should be confident in progressing through to the next round of the All-Ireland Series.
Confidence can be a dangerous sentiment for Roscommon teams and perhaps, outside of the panel at least, this made the defeat in the last round to a good Tyrone team sting harder.
Of course, the sting hurt more due to the Red Hand County’s victory being confirmed by a last-minute Ethan Jordan free. What that narrow loss demonstrated, however, is that Roscommon’s floor has been raised compared to the last few seasons.
To ensure that Roscommon prolong their season, here are three factors they must negotiate on Saturday afternoon.
It goes without saying that Roscommon will have to limit Monaghan’s two key men at either end of the pitch — Rory Beggan and Jack McCarron.
Against Galway and Tyrone collectively, Mark Dowd’s side only conceded three points apiece through frees, and it’s a theme that must continue in the face of Beggan’s placed ball prowess.
The Monaghan goalkeeper is probably the finest striker of a ball from the deck the GAA has produced, and he will penalise soft frees.
Tyrone goalkeeper Niall Morgan would operate to a similar standard as his Monaghan counterpart, and he was able to pick apart Roscommon’s kickout press that worked so well against Galway.
A revised kickout plan will be required to limit the physical presence of both Michéal McCarville and the AFL-experienced Karl Gallagher in midfield, both of whom will represent Beggan’s main long-range targets.
Their other key man Jack McCarron, who often lived in the shadow of the great Conor McManus for most of his Monaghan career, has one of the most unique playing styles. His cultured left boot can split the posts from any angle.
Despite a faster game evolving around him, the Monaghan sharpshooter has used his football IQ to repurpose himself as a lethal kicker from the arc.
He seems to have returned to a level of fitness that can withstand 70 minutes of football as evidenced against Mayo, and a man-marking job will be required to limit him for as long as he is on the pitch.
Initially at least, should Brian Stack break into the starting 15, the St. Brigid’s defender’s capabilities should be focussed on McCarron to remove that focal point.
The two Scotstown veterans have rightly received their plaudits in this championship thus far, but it may not be them who expose Roscommon’s main weakness.
In four championship games, Roscommon have conceded seven goals. Most of them have come from cutting wing runs and players willing to take on their markers.
Through players like Conor McCarthy, Stephen O’Hanlon (who was injured for the Mayo game) and impact substitute Stephen Mooney, Saturday’s opponents possess players who can expose this weakness.
Getting the match-ups around the arc right will be crucial to prevent this, with Colm Neary, Senan Lambe and Eoin McCormack standing out as the players most equipped to quell that threat.
What Roscommon can utilise are their own two-point specialists. Up until the Mayo game, the Ulster side defended around the arc well but seemed willing to give players space beyond the ’45.
Too often, the wrong Roscommon players took on two-point efforts against Tyrone due to impatience.
Slower set attacks to allow the likes of Diarmuid Murtagh get positioned slightly further out from the posts may afford him the time he needs, similar to what Ryan O’Donoghue and Kobe McDonald were able to do against the Farney County on Sunday week last.
Like Mayo did with Jack Carney early on, getting the ball to other players who will join the attack on the transition, namely Enda Smith and Conor Ryan — the latter’s two-point prowess being slightly more under the radar — could also prove to be fruitful.
