Staying in the hunt the key to staging another ambush

Sunday’s Connacht semi-final will be one to savour in the eyes of former Roscommon defender, Seán McDermott.

With both Roscommon and Mayo comfortably avoiding any slip-ups against New York and London respectively last time out, the scene is now set for the latest chapter in this fierce rivalry. Consequently, the Western Gaels clubman believes that Sunday’s clash in Castlebar has all the ingredients to be a classic.

“I am really looking forward to the game. The two teams are in good form, and I think it will be a cracking Connacht semi-final. I think it is a 50-50 game. It is one of those that could go anyway,” he noted.

McDermott experienced lining out at Gaelic Park three times during his intercounty career. Despite the reduced timeframe between games for teams coming back from The Bronx, McDermott is confident that Roscommon — who he feels have had an eye on this game ever since securing league survival — won’t be negatively affected by the tight turnaround.

“In my time, it was slightly different. We had nearly a three or four-week gap between games. Now, the lads only have a two-week turnaround. But there won’t be any big change.

“The first week would have been all about getting themselves right and recovering before getting themselves into a small block of training.

“To be honest a lot of the work will already be done, so it will about sharpening the gameplan and everyone understanding what they are about when going to Castlebar,” he noted.

McDermott is keenly aware of the difficulty involved in overcoming Mayo in championship combat, particularly in Castlebar. He was part of Roscommon teams that lost provincial showdowns in 2009 and 2013 to Mayo on away soil.

However, he believes that the work at underage level has helped ingrain the current crop of players with the belief that they can always be firmly in the hunt when lining out at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park.

“Our record speaks for itself. Mayo have probably had our number, especially in my playing time. In my time there was a scenario where we would have taken some heavy defeats from Mayo and then other times where we ran them quite close. The record speaks for itself, they have had more wins than we have had.

“But I feel that tide has been turning the last few years. I feel there is a sense that we can go there and compete all the time. I am not saying that guarantees us the victory on Sunday, but I am very confident that the Roscommon team will go to Castlebar and produce a performance. I am hopeful that performance will be enough to see us over the line,” he noted.

The former Roscommon captain believes that Mark Dowd’s men need to test Mayo’s nerve, adding that Sunday’s visitors to Hastings Insurance MacHale Park have the steeliness and quality to strike late.

“When we went back to Castlebar in 2019, during Anthony Cunningham’s first year, I thought we would win. Ironically Mark Dowd and Iain Daly were the selectors with Anthony. I predicted Roscommon to win that game because I knew Roscommon would be going there with a steeliness under Anthony, and I think it will be the very same under Mark Dowd.

“Roscommon must make sure they are going down the tunnel at half time firmly in the hunt. That will be the key. I think if they can stay with Mayo by seeing their gameplan out and make sure they are going down the tunnel well in the game, whether they are slightly ahead or behind, they can come out in the second half and go for it. I think the longer it goes on and the longer we are in this game, I think it is there for Roscommon to take it. I am going to give Roscommon the nod by a couple of points,” he concluded.