GAME ON…

Burke: ‘We were disrespected’

Roscommon manager Davy Burke revealed that the players were frustrated by the pre-match analysis, which – broadly speaking – had conveyed a narrative that Mayo would definitely win.

Making a mockery of county teams’ insistence that they don’t pay much – or any – heed to media coverage before a big game, Burke indicated that the players had closely observed the analysis in the build-up to Sunday’s Connacht quarter-final in Castlebar. And it turns out they weren’t impressed with what they read and heard.

“I thought there was a lot of disrespect during the week,” Burke told RTÉ Radio 1’s Sunday Sport. “We finished third in Division One. On merit. And we were completely written off. You’d swear we were a lower level team altogether. I’m sure our boys were frustrated by that and I’m glad they put it right”.

No excuses from Kevin!

Mayo manager and former Roscommon team boss Kevin McStay gave a very honest assessment of the game after the match.

“I absolutely wouldn’t use the league final last week (as an excuse). We’re not in the excuses business. That’s not where we operate.

“We knew this was going to be a tough game. It is a tough schedule but we’ve known for a long time (that) it was a tough schedule. We put all our chips out on the table there today and we have no complaints.

“I’m happy with my team that we fought so hard to the end. We nearly just got our noses ahead at a vital time. But it didn’t happen for us. Congrats to Roscommon, they were deserving winners” Kevin concluded.

On Tweet Street…

Joe Brolly on Twitter, moments after the final whistle on Sunday: ‘Welcome to championship football. Roscommon have the stuff’

Author/former journalist Ewan MacKenna on Twitter: ‘There’s something so likeable about this Roscommon. People always quote Monaghan as smaller county potential but these lads are feral. Would love to see them and their fans late in year, in last four, packing it out. Pure guts. (Get it’s too early and calm needed etc)’.

‘Game plan perfectly executed. Brilliant defence from Roscommon and had Diarmuid Murtagh to shoot them over the line at the other end. His brilliant 66th minute score epitomised the game. Mayo with work to do on their attack for later in the summer’

-Tweet by multiple All-Ireland winner with Dublin, Paddy Andrews

More reaction…

‘Roscommon rattled off three of the final four points with Smith capping a man of the match performance with a fisted point before the final whistle. When it sounded, their fans stormed the field and their manager danced out in front of them. This bold new format has left many wondering who cares about the provincial championship? Roscommon certainly do’

-Maurice Brosnan (Irish Examiner)