Roscommon GAA Discussion Thread

rossie1977

Roscommon have been playing strong teams but they have also given run-outs to younger guys and players that haven't seen much if any senior action for the county.

Against Leitrim, Ross Timothy, Tadgh McKenna, Padraig Kelly and Finbar Cregg all started with Shane Dowd coming on at half time and Ciaran Lennon and Philip Neilan in the second half. Kelly, Lennon and Cian McKeon all started against Sligo with Hubert Darcy coming on.

McKeon and Lennon are interesting because both are still under 20 but the new rule is if you play senior championship you can't play under age and vice versa. McKeon especially has been impressive so far this year so they might keep him on the senior panel.

nice_guy80

rossie1977 wrote: »

Roscommon have been playing strong teams but they have also given run-outs to younger guys and players that haven't seen much if any senior action for the county.

Against Leitrim, Ross Timothy, Tadgh McKenna, Padraig Kelly and Finbar Cregg all started with Shane Dowd coming on at half time and Ciaran Lennon and Philip Neilan in the second half. Kelly, Lennon and Cian McKeon all started against Sligo with Hubert Darcy coming on.

McKeon and Lennon are interesting because both are still under 20 but the new rule is if you play senior championship you can't play under age and vice versa. McKeon especially has been impressive so far this year so they might keep him on the senior panel.

as with Con O'Callaghan. if you're good enough you should be on the senior panel
what sort of U20 team will Ros have?

rossie1977

At minor two years ago Galway had by far the best side in Connacht and Roscommon are set to face Galway in the semi final. With Cake Curran as manager and the blooding of some of last year's under 17s it should be an interesting year but Galway will likely be too strong again and will probably reach All-Ireland final with Kerry barring a major shock.

megadodge

Hard to know how to feel after that today.

For three quarters of the game Roscommon were absolutely cruising. By far the better team, playing well and looking like they were going to have an easy win.

Then.... meltdown!

Meath, who had looked middling at best, made a few changes in personnel and the (big) subs had a major impact. They were let power through the middle and scored 6 unanswered points. Every single Roscommon kickout in this time was won by Meath. And that was the annoying part. While they were contested, the breaking ball (how many times have I said this in the past) was not won when the game was in the melting pot. Then Cathal Cregg lost possesion badly when at the very least a point was on, the ball went up the field and boom, goal. Game over you thought.

The positive thing is that seemed to wake Roscommon up from their stupor. Down 4 points in injury time they grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and forced a draw when all looked lost.

Once Meath pushed up on Ros kickouts and forced the goalie long, the inability to win anything was very worrying. It was similar to the Mayo replay in that regard. The lack of size in the middle really restricts our options on kickouts.

Diarmuid Murtagh was much improved from the Mayo match, but unfortunately picked up what looked like a bad injury in the second half and had to be taken off. Here's hoping his bad luck with injuries isn't back to haunt him.

This was a match that Roscommon could have won, but just as easily could have lost, so as I said, it's hard to know what to think. With Tipp's good win over Cork next week is a big game for our promotion prospects.

Slipperydodger

Donie Shine's penalty for Roscommon to draw level with Meath

Duckworth_Luas

Slipperydodger wrote: »

Donie Shine's penalty for Roscommon to draw level with Meath

Donie Smith

Pique

Donie look cool as a cucumber though.

Addle

Will we see Kilbride play again?

Syferus

megadodge wrote: »

Hard to know how to feel after that today.

For three quarters of the game Roscommon were absolutely cruising. By far the better team, playing well and looking like they were going to have an easy win.

Then.... meltdown!

Meath, who had looked middling at best, made a few changes in personnel and the (big) subs had a major impact. They were let power through the middle and scored 6 unanswered points. Every single Roscommon kickout in this time was won by Meath. And that was the annoying part. While they were contested, the breaking ball (how many times have I said this in the past) was not won when the game was in the melting pot. Then Cathal Cregg lost possesion badly when at the very least a point was on, the ball went up the field and boom, goal. Game over you thought.

The positive thing is that seemed to wake Roscommon up from their stupor. Down 4 points in injury time they grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and forced a draw when all looked lost.

Once Meath pushed up on Ros kickouts and forced the goalie long, the inability to win anything was very worrying. It was similar to the Mayo replay in that regard. The lack of size in the middle really restricts our options on kickouts.

Diarmuid Murtagh was much improved from the Mayo match, but unfortunately picked up what looked like a bad injury in the second half and had to be taken off. Here's hoping his bad luck with injuries isn't back to haunt him.

This was a match that Roscommon could have won, but just as easily could have lost, so as I said, it's hard to know what to think. With Tipp's good win over Cork next week is a big game for our promotion prospects.

Still suffering the effects of the ankle injury in the CF then. He was our best player by a mile in the replay too, the only one to beat his man on the day.

He injured himself before his final point, which was both an incredible score from an already frigged player and perhaps not his wisest decision of all time.

It's apparently just a thigh injury so he may even be back for Sunday. Either way with Finbarr, Fintan and Cathal Cregg as well as Donie Smith there is no need to rush him back like we had to last summer.

Slipperydodger

It wasn’t important to get something out of the game yesterday. Will be very tough against Tipp in Tipperary next weekend.

Slipperydodger

Why isn’t the game next weekend preceding the Tipp Waterford Hurling game on the Saturday night? There would be a far better crowd and atmosphere if it was!

ahlookit

Slipperydodger wrote: »

Why isn’t the game next weekend preceding the Tipp Waterford Hurling game on the Saturday night? There would be a far better crowd and atmosphere if it was!

It was initially due to be a double header. Possibly changed due to clash with Glaveys match vs Moy?

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

ahlookit wrote: »

It was initially due to be a double header. Possibly changed due to clash with Glaveys match vs Moy?

Nah, they had the fixture changed a few weeks ago.

I'd say it's more to do with Tipp not wanting the footballers on wrecking the pitch for their hurlers. And there'd be no hope of having the football on after the hurling which was always going to be The Main Event. They don't give a toss about their footballers down there, for the most part.

It's a pity, I'd have liked to have seen a big hurling game in Semple, but not to be. There'll be about 2,000 there on Sunday in a big cavernous stadium, we'll be lost!

megadodge

Addle wrote: »

Will we see Kilbride play again?

It might seem harsh but I personally never thought he was good enough for county.
A fine club player, but just that little short of county class.
At the moment I think he's there in a kind of temporary capacity to help out a struggling midfield area, but he was never a county midfielder in the first place, so I'm not sure what he's supposed to add other than on often indisciplined 'physicality'.

I think Enda should be left in midfield and who to partner him is the problem. I believe Fintan Cregg's conditioning is in question at the moment and the source is quite good this time. Fintan has a lot of football in him and is strong physically, so he's an option, but after that quality midfielders are very scarce.

patmac

Interesting that no Four Roads player started for The hurlers (doubt that happened before) and only one from the County Champions Pearses, a lot of lads finding it hard to commit to the County.

megadodge

patmac wrote: »

Interesting that no Four Roads player started for The hurlers (doubt that happened before) and only one from the County Champions Pearses, a lot of lads finding it hard to commit to the County.

I don't necessarily think they're 'finding it hard', from what I've heard they just don't bother because of a 'what's the point' attitude. I can understand it to a certain degree.

yabadabado

megadodge wrote: »

I don't necessarily think they're 'finding it hard', from what I've heard they just don't bother because of a 'what's the point' attitude. I can understand it to a certain degree.

Yeah that is a major problem and has been for a long while.Often as good a 15 not involved as what starts a county game.
It's a pity but not likely to chance in the near future.

megadodge

If you thought the rugby yesterday was a spectacular finish, you should have been in Thurles today!

The big difference was that Ireland were the better team throughout, whereas from the middle of the first half until the last 7-8 minutes Tipp were definitely the better side.

Roscommon have a ruthless streak when the mood takes them and can score freely in quick patches even when playing badly and that was never as obvious as today. When in position Roscommon don't hit very many wides, the side is full of good finishers and they scored some spectacular points in that final spell.

It's amazing how, when the sudden surge went through the team in that finale, they were able to win every breaking ball at midfield and stop runners from breaking through when those two things caused endless problems for the rest of the game.

The weakness when run at is a real problem right now. It's what Mayo did in the replay and it doesn't seem to have been addressed. I'd blame the half-back line and to a lesser extent the slow reaction by some forwards tracking back - that extra split second allows their man to gain those few yards to create the overlap.

The breaking ball issue is just ridiculous at this stage. In that late surge you could see Roscommon were going to win the breaking ball, because they WANTED IT SO BADLY!!! Well that's what it takes to win breaking ball throughout the whole game!!! As cliched as it sounds it's the player that wants to win it and is prepared to put his body on the line that will win it!

I thought Brian Stack and Conor Daly made a big difference in the middle sector of the field when they came on, with their desire to get on the ball and more importantly their ability to move the ball forward rather than sideways.

Donie hit two sublime points when he came on, but yet again when Roscommon had just won the free which equalised (a huge kick from Diarmuid) he ended up nearly giving it away by getting involved for absolutely no reason whatsoever! One of the sideline even had to come on to get him away and calm him down. Surely he must have learned at this stage, especially when he's playing so well otherwise.

However, the outstanding player for Roscommon again was Ciaran Lennon. I'm not sure how I missed this fella on the way up, but I think we've found a serious player here. He never stops showing for the ball and wins it high or low. But best of all is his composure on the ball. Never loses it and always seems to do the right thing. When he takes on his man he invariably seems to get past him. I'm really excited about him. Hopefully he continues in this vein.

Though a lot of the performance was unsatisfactory it's all about the result and the display of heart again was wonderful to see. All successful teams/players have that play-til-the-final-whistle mentality and this team are showing it in buckets.

Have to congratulate Roscommon on a fine comeback today as painful as it was to endure. We simply should not have lost from that position and can have no excuses. Nice side to watch and cut from the same cloth as ourselves really.

Judging by the travelling support there is a sense of real belief in this youthful and vibrant Roscommon team.

Rossvet

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Have to congratulate Roscommon on a fine comeback today as painful as it was to endure. We simply should not have lost from that position and can have no excuses. Nice side to watch and cut from the same cloth as ourselves really.

Judging by the travelling support there is a sense of real belief in this youthful and vibrant Roscommon team.

Must have been 1500 of us there today.
Delighted with the win which we needed. Looked very unlikely 7 or 8 minutes to go.
Serious heart in the team to keep going after that 3rd goal.
The subs ( most of them anyway) improved the team no end.
A lot of improving to be done yet in defence and midfield.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Huge win for us in the context of how that game went. Tipp were much the better team for 50 minutes, but you have to commend the never-say-die attitude of the team. That's 2 weeks in a row that they've come back from the dead, although the manner of how they get themselves in that position is worrying.

Tipp's forwards cut through us like a hot knife through butter at times yesterday, particularly for the third goal. You could see it coming a mile away. I don't know whether its something to do with coaching or what, these lads aren't bad defenders. Admittedly, Tipp's FF line are extremely talented, particularly Sweeney and Quinlivan. Kickout strategy remains a problem also.

Focusing on the positives, Ros were very economical with scoring chances. 1-17 is a big score to put up when you've been on the back foot for much of the game. Donie Smith is worth his weight in gold as an impact sub, whether he'll nail down a starting place remains to be seen. Diarmuid Murtagh was excellent yesterday. I too was very impressed with Ciaran Lennon, great physicality, tends to win more than his fair share of ball and can beat his man from a standing start more often than not. He got a great point where he bullied his way in on the endline and fisted the ball over from an acute angle.

While it isn't a particularly nice aspect of the game, I was pleased to see the ruthless streak in some of our players in injury time when Tipp needed a score. Obviously, the Tipp fans were rightly incensed as any set of fans would be, but we were there to get the win first and foremost.

rossie1977

First time in Semple stadium yesterday and it sure was memorable. Ken and Dodge have pretty much covered the major talking points. Just want to add that I thought McInerney was terrific again. He never gave Quinlivan a second and followed him all over the field.

Commiserations to Michael Glaveys in the intermediate all ireland club final. They fought gallantly in the second half and went out on their shield to a terrific Moy of Tyrone featuring one of the best footballers in history and the current all-star at midfield. Glennon at full forward was magnificent, with Moy needing to put three men on him every time the ball came his way in the second half and he still seemed to win almost everything. Incredible to think he hasn't started a league or championship game for the county.

yabadabado

Glennon would have been involved except for the club games. He played in the FBD and is definitely on the radar.

Rossvet

Isn't it the case that Andrew isn't interested in playing County?

yabadabado

He played FBD last year and I'm told was very much on the radar of the management team.
If he doesn't want to be involved this year that's a pity.

Comic Book Guy

Fairly sure he can't get on board due to work commitments.

nice_guy80

yabadabado wrote: »

Glennon would have been involved except for the club games. He played in the FBD and is definitely on the radar.

he didn't make much of an impression on saturday in a club final

yabadabado

nice_guy80 wrote: »

he didn't make much of an impression on saturday in a club final

He was one of the better Glaveys players on Saturday. They were up against with the terrible start but he did as much as anyone to get them back into it.

nice_guy80

yabadabado wrote: »

He was one of the better Glaveys players on Saturday. They were up against with the terrible start but he did as much as anyone to get them back into it.

true. but he didn't stand out as a county standard player might

anyway, the commitment needed for county squads now is crazy.
you nearly need to be a full time student or working in education

blowitupref

nice_guy80 wrote: »

true. but he didn't stand out as a county standard player might

anyway, the commitment needed for county squads now is crazy.
you nearly need to be a full time student or working in education

I thought he stood out for a player that played little or no county football at any level underage included. His points from play were as good as any points scored and he scored a few outstanding frees also. Very good target man rarely loses the ball under pressure and has good movement for a big lad.


You are right about the commitment needed nowadays for county squads