This Saturday evening’s game against Cavan is a huge occasion for the Roscommon senior football team. They know that the trap door is gone and it is a chance of redemption after the non-performance against Sligo.
The usual stories that follow a defeat like that have all been doing the rounds such as an (alleged) row on the bus, etc. etc! Football has changed a lot since I was playing but rumours after a shock defeat were around when I was there as well.
All these stories really mean nothing and by all accounts nothing untoward happened before the Sligo match.
However what we do know is that it was a very poor performance from Roscommon on the day. Sligo wanted it a bit more and that fact has to hurt the team and management.
When the draw for the Connacht championship this year, there was a massive chance for the winners (of the game in Markievicz Park) to get to a Connacht final and for Roscommon not to have been tuned properly in was massively disappointing.
I see where John Evans said that the Roscommon players had bought into the hype before the match, but the question I would ask is who created the hype?
I know that it is important to build up confidence in the players, but to talk of winning All-Irelands after just getting promoted to Division One of the league is premature. It certainly added to the hype and in reality it set Roscommon up for a big fall.
I am sure that all that chat was music to the Sligo management’s ears and I also believe that Mayo were chomping at the bit in anticipation of meeting Roscommon in the Connacht Final.
The standard of the teams in Division Two of the league has now to be cast into question as every team with the exception of Westmeath (who were relegated) have been beaten in this year’s championship.
There is very little between Cavan and Roscommon and both counties have a very similar record in that they have been developing good underage teams in recent years. Both teams have definitely made progress but are struggling to get that success at senior championship level. Both teams have strong panels and in time, and with good management and patience, both sides should rise up the pecking order.
To get into the top eight is difficult, but to get to get to the top four a team must be able to compete in Division One for a few years. Monaghan are a team that have made most progress in that regard in recent years.
Last year Roscommon won against Cavan easily but on that occasion we were the team with the momentum, after a good showing against Mayo. This year Cavan have that momentum after a good performance against Monaghan and a demolition of London.
Roscommon are not as bad as they looked against Sligo and are well capable of beating Cavan. But this time our players have to be tuned in and we have to get our team selection right. We did not do either against Sligo.
I don’t foresee wholesale changes as that would not make any sense. We might have some injuries, but so have Cavan, so that issue is not relevant.
My main worry going into this match has to do with Roscommon’s confidence. All sports teams have to have confidence when they go out and believe that they can win. The lads have been shook to the core after the Sligo match and it will take a huge effort to rise up again.
There is no doubt that we have a strong panel and if our attitude is right I am convinced that we can win on Saturday evening but it will not be easy.
The team has taken a lot of flak in the media and on radio and TV so I am expecting a huge response and a morale-boosting win.
On Friday evening Roscommon’s minors take on Sligo in the Connacht semi-final at Kiltoom.
I have not seen this Roscommon team play this year but with the Roscommon CBS players back in the team I am expecting a big performance.
Sligo go into the game as favourites but at home Roscommon can cause a surprise.
