Upcoming block of games to determine Roscommon’s league trajectory
Enda Smith takes possession around Andrew Murnin during the last Division One League meeting in the Hyde between Roscommon and Armagh in 2023. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
Two games down, and Roscommon are in decent shape — that’s all anyone could have asked for ahead of the defining block of league games for Mark Dowd’s men.
Over the next three weekends, the Rossies face a hat-trick of matches against Armagh, Galway and Dublin — contests that will define what trajectory the team’s Division One League campaign will take.
Despite running All-Ireland champions, Kerry, to a point and backing that up with a comfortable six-point victory against Monaghan, Roscommon are still odds on to be relegated.
Crucially, destiny remains very much in the players’ hands to turn that narrative around, with three out of their next four games in the Hyde, starting with the visit of Armagh on Sunday (throw-in at 2 p.m.).
In 2023, it was the victories against Galway and Armagh that ensured that Roscommon could look forward to a rare second consecutive season in the top flight. Over the next two weekends, albeit the fixtures are in reverse order, Roscommon must prove, once again, that they belong in this sort of company.
Even one victory with the prospect of a Dublin team in transition that don’t have the aura of previous sides coming to town at the end of the month will lay the foundation for everything to play in the final two cup finals — at home to Donegal and away to Mayo, the pacesetters in the division so far.
How those teams will view the league at that stage is anyone’s guess, but Roscommon must be in a position to take advantage of any favours that may come their way.
When Roscommon last locked horns in the league with Armagh in 2023, a 1-12 to 0-12 victory provided further encouragement for Davy Burke during his first season in charge. But while Roscommon have been, more or less, stuck in a rut since, Armagh have moved to another level, and, of course, becoming All-Ireland champions in 2024 added to Kieran McGeeney’s legacy and the wealth of talent he had assembled.
While some of those players aren’t available, McGeeney will still bring a strong squad to the Hyde. Players like Oisín Conaty, Oisín O’Neill, Conor Turbitt, Andrew Murnin, Tiernan Kelly and Jarly Óg Burns and Ross McQuillan would walk onto most teams in the division, so the size of Roscommon’s task is sizable despite such a positive start.
It was interesting to hear McGeeney reference the “different dynamic” around this Roscommon side in the aftermath of his side’s narrow loss against Galway — a game his side should have won.
Presumably, what he was referring to is the pace now embedded within the side, something his own team certainly aren’t lacking. The way Armagh cut through the Galway rearguard, particularly in the opening half, won’t have gone unnoticed by Mark Dowd and his management team in the same way McGeeney will have taken stock how Roscommon were so open in the first 35 minutes when Monaghan runners took the most direct route to goal.
Outside of Diarmuid Murtagh, Daire Cregg, Enda Smith, Dylan Ruane, Keith Doyle and Ronan Daly, this is essentially a new Roscommon team that has seen 10 players make their league debuts in just two games.
Experience in the form of Colm Neary and the St. Brigid’s players will be filtered back into the starting 15 over the coming weeks, which will improve squad depth and leave Dowd confident that he has players on the bench to come in and change a game.
What’s more, Roscommon have a thing in their heads that they can beat Armagh, and they have a very good record against the Orchard County in the Hyde.
A fast pitch will suit both sides, and with both sets of players sensing that they can get something out of the game, it should make for another hugely enjoyable Division One encounter.
In terms of where the spoils will go, Armagh will be favourites. But Roscommon’s positive start to league life under Mark Dowd has generated some momentum.
While there’s a chance they can eke out a positive result to prolong the current feel-good factor, it's still hard to look beyond a grizzled Armagh side that will fancy their chances of finding a way to win.
