Rossies hit first bump on the road
Anna and Ellen Neenan, Cloonfad, supporting the Roscommon senior footballers against Tyrone on Sunday last. Picture: Gerard O'Loughlin
We could get used to this — another bumper day following the Roscommon footballers in King and Moffatt Dr Hyde Park.
The sun shone, the town thronged before and after the game, Primrose and Blue supporters packed out the venue, the Connacht champions were given a heroes’ welcome, and visitors with a habit for tearing up scripts arrived to spoil the party.
After winning the provincial championship, the ante was upped for Roscommon to keep the momentum going and beat a big hitter outside of Connacht, which would have meant three serious championship scalps.
Tyrone came looking for that clutch moment to convince themselves they can be a major player in the Sam Maguire race and duly delivered, heading for home with plenty of positives.
Big games are usually decided by small margins, and last Sunday Tyrone grasped the key moments better than Roscommon. The Ulster men were razor sharp up front, cutting through Roscommon with style and panache, while goalkeeper Niall Morgan struck the ball like Rory McIlroy.
Their game management was top drawer — they never panicked and hit 2-11 from play in the first half.
Roscommon weren’t humming like they were against Mayo and Galway. They made too many basic errors, were sloppy in possession, and yet still took the game to the final seconds.
They scored 2-18, came from five down to hit the front entering the closing stretch, but, over the 70-plus minutes, Tyrone were the better team.
This was another serious championship encounter and, despite the loss, Roscommon have reached a level where they will compete every time they go out.
But the margin for error is now gone — it’s win or bust from here on in.
Last Sunday’s lessons were harsh. Every time you give the ball away against a team like Tyrone, you get punished.
The positives? Roscommon never gave up, fought to the finish, and almost dug out a win despite being second best.
Mark Dowd’s side have hit the first bump in the road. Now, they have a three-week pit stop, and then go again. They’ve shown against Mayo, Galway, and Tyrone that they can perform at that level consistently.
The next day will be different again — it’s now knockout football. Interestingly, the first two provincial champions, Kerry and Roscommon, were both beaten. All eyes now turn to Armagh and Westmeath next weekend to see if they can buck that trend.
Are teams better off waiting in the long grass?
Regardless, the All-Ireland Series is up and running with a mighty bang.
With both teams enjoying a good break from semi-final to final, Kerry and Tyrone should be at full tilt and raring to go as they bring the curtain down on a brilliant All-Ireland U-20 Football Championship.
Tyrone are chasing three-in-a-row All-Ireland U-20 titles alongside three successive wins over Kerry. The Red Hand County beat Kerry in the 2024 final and last season’s semi-final, so they will arrive in Croke Park fully believing they can strike another blow against Tomás Ó Sé’s men.
Kerry and Cork have achieved three-in-a-row at this level, and Tyrone would love to emulate those feats by clinching their own hat-trick.
I haven’t seen Tyrone play this season, but Kerry needed extra time to put a Roscommon side — who were running on empty — to the sword. Ó Sé has some excellent players at his disposal, and it was his substitutes who made a huge impact against the Connacht champions.
The Munster champions are strong from midfield up, with pace and powerful runners, but their defence could struggle against a free-scoring Tyrone forward line. Their goalkeeper, too, may not inspire full confidence.
It’s great to see the U-20 decider getting a prime-time slot at 5 p.m. on a Saturday evening in Croke Park, especially after the mess made of staging the All-Ireland semi-finals midweek. With the way the final date has worked out, the All-Ireland semi-finals could easily have been played on Saturday, May 16th.
While the ship has sailed for Roscommon and Kildare — who may not have won anyway — both deserved better after claiming provincial honours.
This has been one of the best U-20 championships in years, with all four provincial finals producing high-scoring encounters. The final leg of the journey should keep us all on the edge of our seats.
While “Spygate” grabbed the headlines, I had no one tapping phones to solve this week’s teaser.
Question: Can you name the oldest manager to win the Scottish top-flight title? The answer was Bill Struth, aged 77, with Rangers in the 1952–53 season.
QPR, Frenchpark, was first to be squeaky clean, and was followed by Liam Dooley, Ballyhaunis; Fr John McManus PP Castlerea; Mary Gilfillan, Kilmore; Michael Scally, Ballaghaderreen; PJ Martin, Kiltoom; Murt Hunt, Ballyhaunis; John Croghan, Bundoran; Seán Farrell, Dublin; Pat, Sligo; Mick Fetherston, Dublin; Luigi, Ballyhaunis; Mary McCarthy, Holloway; Marcus Ward, Lytham; Kevin Flanagan, Dartford; Seán Toolan, Heston, and Michael Kearns, Clapham, who didn’t need a camera.
This week’s teaser: Can you name the last Scotsman to captain a side to a major European Cup final victory?
Answers by email to willieefc@gmail.com or by text to 086 8356227. This week’s teaser comes from Athlone.
Roscommon’s U17 footballers and management will be keeping a close eye on the Ulster U-17 final this Friday evening between defending champions Tyrone and Derry.
As Connacht champions, Roscommon will face the beaten finalists on the weekend of June 6th and 7th, with Galway taking on the winners.
It is likely that both All-Ireland quarter-finals will form a double-header.
Star pupil: Steven Sherlock, who hit 0-14 (including four two-pointers) for Cork in their epic win over Meath.
Crucial win for: The Dublin hurlers, who reached the Leinster SHC final.
Much to do better: A very poor display by Clare against Cork in the Munster SHC.
Spot of bother: Kilkenny are out of the All-Ireland hurling championship, while Kerry were left on the canvas by Donegal.
Weekend highlight: Even in defeat, it was another magnificent day in King and Moffatt Dr Hyde Park, with a thrilling encounter to crown a sun-drenched occasion.
What a cracker: It promises to be a wonderful occasion at a sold-out Cusack Park, Mullingar, for Westmeath v Cavan in the All-Ireland football championship on Saturday.
“There’s really no point in asking ‘what if?’ The only question worth asking is ‘what’s next?’”
Across England’s top four tiers in 2025/2026, the team in each division that scored the most goals from set pieces went on to win the title were: Arsenal (24), Coventry (29), Lincoln City (32), and Bromley (34).
After the way they dealt with Southampton’s “Spygate” affair, it’s a pity the EFL isn’t in charge of the Premier League — if they were, Manchester City and Chelsea might have faced massive points deductions for their alleged financial breaches.
