GAME ON…

Mayo view on Rossies!

Recently retired Mayo great Lee Keegan, writing for the RTE website prior to last weekend’s games, had some musings on Roscommon’s strong start to the Allianz National Football League campaign.

‘Roscommon are sitting pretty, looking down on everyone. The yo-yo tag has been buried for this year. They’re getting a great consistency of performance, which traditionally had been a problem.

‘In my time as a player, Roscommon were always an unknown quantity – which made them a very dangerous opponent. But often you were never sure whether you were going to encounter a confident bunch who were in the mood – or a rusty team who weren’t at the pitch of it’.

Noting how strongly Roscommon had finished in the fourth quarter during their wins over Tyrone, Galway and Armagh, Keegan added: “They’re playing with huge confidence as well, you can see the trust between Davy Burke’s management team and the players on the pitch. They’ve looked comfortable in tight games”.

Of course, even if he’s a playing legend turned pundit, we have to be wary of Mayo men bearing verbal gifts! In any event, last Sunday in Clones, Roscommon experienced their first defeat in this season’s league campaign. There is no suggestion that a new Mayo curse was involved…

Bandwagon toppled!

‘If ever a fixture was purpose-built to throw a bandwagon off course, it’s Monaghan in Clones in February. On a bone-cold day in front of a hopped-up crowd, Vinny Corey’s side ended Roscommon’s unbeaten run in Division One and jumped themselves up to mid-table respectability. They haven’t survived this long in Division One by quailing at the sight of the league leaders coming to town. They weren’t likely to start here’.

-Malachy Clerkin (Irish Times)

Davy saw it coming!

‘It’s probably the biggest trap of all time, in fairness, isn’t it? They’re a seasoned outfit. I had a fair idea what was coming our way. It’s a sore one because you can see it coming. Did you ever watch a car crash in slow motion, lads? I’m glad that this league-run-of-a-year-and-a-half nonsense is over with, to be honest. I’m glad we can move on now’.

-Straight talking from Roscommon manager Davy Burke after the final whistle last Sunday