Last weekend we saw the second round of club championships in Roscommon with the big game of the weekend between Roscommon Gaels and St Brigid’s turning out to be a very competitive affair with Brigid’s using all their experience to register a one-point win in the end.
The Gaels will wonder how they lost but they will also take a lot of encouragement from their display, especially in the second half. If they can build on their performance and improve in the next couple of games then they can be considered as realistic challengers for the title.
St Brigid’s will be delighted to have won this game playing below par and they will expect to improve as the championship progresses.
Elsewhere, the big talking point was the great comeback by Castlerea in the second game in Strokestown. After 16 minutes Strokestown led by 1-6 to 0-1 and looked like world-beaters. But incredibly Castlerea hung in there and came back to win by the minimum margin.
Nigel Dineen has done a lot of character-building in this team as they were in a similar situation in the first round.
I was in Ballyforan for what was a bizarre match between Padraig Pearse’s and Clann na nGael. The combination of injuries and a hailstorm meant that there were 14 minutes of injury-time.
Clann must be very disappointed to have not secured at least a draw as they failed to score in the final 20 minutes of play with a huge wind at their backs. But Pearses were the better team and fully deserved their win.
Western Gaels and St Faithleach’s played out a draw which leaves them both at the bottom of the Group table after two games. In Group B, Boyle got their season back on track with a good win against Elphin while St Croan’s also had a good win when they travelled to Kilmore.
Now the championship will take a break for at least a month and that will depend on how Roscommon get on against Sligo.
It’s time to change All-Ireland format
Last Sunday we saw the expected humiliation for Longford against the rampant Dubs. The huge competition for places on the Dublin team means that they cannot take their foot off the gas and they will always compete strongly right up to the final whistle.
This match does nothing for football in either county and underlines the urgent need for a serious rethink of the football championship format. It should be high on the agenda in Croke Park.
There is no doubt that the present provincial structures need to come into the spotlight. There is a place for the provincial championships but the All-Ireland championship should be a completely different competition.
Just look at the seeding in our own local championships and how it has led to a lot of close matches. If that was the case on a national level it would aid the marketing and competitiveness of the game of football.
It is obvious that the grading structure of the game of hurling works and there are very few mis-matches in the hurling championship and that’s why the game of hurling is on the rise.
Hurlers off to Croker
On Saturday Roscommon hurlers face a big test when they take on Armagh in the Nicky Rackard Cup Final. It is a great opportunity for all involved to get a chance to play in Croke Park and at this level they should be expected to win.
Elsewhere this weekend, in football, Laois should get the better of free-falling Kildare while Derry might surprise Down in Ulster. In hurling the Cork v Waterford game could be a real cracker, with Cork the favourites. The loss of Padraic O’Mahony could be a fatal blow to Waterford hopes this year.
In the Leinster Championship I felt that Dublin were slightly the better side last Sunday and Joe Canning will have to improve if Galway are to win the replay. I know he was playing with an injured hand but there are no excuses when you cross the white line and he was more of a hindrance than a help to Galway last Sunday. Dublin look the better bet here.
