‘There's every chance Roscommon could pitch up in a Division One final’
Ross McGarry scores a point for Dublin, despite the best efforts of Roscommon's Daire Cregg, during the championship meeting between the teams in 2024. Picture: INPHO/Ken Sutton
Former Mayo defender Lee Keegan believes that there’s every chance Roscommon could pitch up in a Division One final in a few weeks' time.
After a controversial one-point loss against Kerry, Mark Dowd’s new-look side have watered those shoots of encouragement in the Kingdom with a hat-trick of victories against Monaghan, Armagh and Galway.
Keegan — writing in his RTÉ online column — says the form lines point to a first Roscommon win against Dublin in the Hyde since 2000 this weekend, which would leave the favourites for relegation before a ball was kicked this season on the cusp of a league final appearance.
“Connacht is staking a claim to be the new Ulster, with all three teams in Division One going fairly well.
“The Rossies are still taking the league by storm and they took their neighbours' scalp in Salthill. They made sure to let the Galway natives know about it afterwards, as is their wont.
“I saw the Paddy Joe Burke monologue in the barber shop from ten (or nine?) years ago floating around again — "we blew them into Galway Bay!! Yeh-hay!!!"
“The game was a cracker — by all accounts. We have to add that caveat, given that no one outside the 6,000 in attendance saw the match live. The rest of which were forced to sit through a low-paced stroll in Croke Park, Kerry beating Dublin without ever having to rev through the gears.
“We know all the Rossies' forward line, which is bursting with talent. Every inch of the form guide suggests they should beat the Dubs in the Hyde this weekend. Having been relegation favourites at the outset, there's every chance they could pitch up in a Division One final this year,” he said.
