One change for Roscommon as Mayo make six
The Roscommon and Mayo teams have been named for their Allianz Football League Division 1 clash in Castlebar tonight (Saturday).
Roscommon manager Davy Burke has made one change to the starting team which easily defeated Monaghan last weekend, with Niall Daly of Pádraig Pearses selected instead of Conor Hussey in the half-back line. Niall's brother Ronan is on the bench which means he could be play in a league game for the first time under Burke.
The list of substitutes also includes Clann na nGael's Ultan Harney who wasn't involved with Roscommon last year due to his travels abroad. However, St Brigid's star Ben O'Carroll is still absent from the Roscommon match-day panel.
Roscommon will be hoping that Daire Cregg (scorer of five points) and 2023 All-Star Enda Smith (0-3) will be able to continue the impressive form they showed against Monaghan.
For their part, Mayo have made six changes from the team which lost to Tyrone following a disappointing second-half display last Saturday.
Colm Reape, Donnacha McHugh, Jack Carney, Bob Tuohy, Aidan O'Shea and Ryan O'Donoghue have all been drafted into the starting XV. Rob Hennelly, Michael Plunkett, Diarmuid O'Connor, Diarmuid Duffy, Cillian O'Connor and Conor McStay are the players to lose out.
Tonight's game at Hastings lnsurance MacHale Park will be televised live on TG4 (throw-in 7.30pm).
It will be the 33rd meeting between the two counties in the National Football league. The first was in 1927 and the most recent was last year when Kevin McStay's Mayo side came out on top, though the Rossies overturned that result in the Connacht championship. Roscommon's last league win over Mayo was back in 1988 on a scoreline of 1-7 to 1-6 at Dr Hyde Park.
Roscommon team (vs Mayo): 1. Conor Carroll (Oranmore/Maree, Galway); 2. David Murray (Pádraig Pearses), 3. Brian Stack (St Brigid’s), 4. Niall Higgins (Elphin); 5. Niall Daly (Pádraig Pearses), 6. Eoin McCormack (St Dominic’s), 7. Dylan Ruane (Michael Glavey's); 8. Enda Smith (Boyle), 9. Shane Cunnane (St Brigid’s); 10. Robbie Dolan (St Brigid’s), 11. Diarmuid Murtagh (St Faithleach’s), 12. Ruaidhrí Fallon (St Brigid’s); 13. Donie Smith (Boyle), 14. Daire Cregg (Boyle), 15 James Fitzpatrick (Oran). Subs: Colm Lavin (Éire Óg), Patrick Gavin (Clann na nGael), Conor Hussey (Michael Glavey's), Evan Flynn (Tulsk Lord Edwards), Tadhg O’Rourke (Tulsk Lord Edwards), Ultan Harney (Clann na nGael), Ronan Daly (Pádraig Pearses), Cathal Heneghan (Michael Glavey's), Conor Cox (Éire Óg), Andrew Glennon (Michael Glavey's), Cian Connolly (Roscommon Gaels).
Mayo team (vs Roscommon): 1. Colm Reape; 2. Jack Coyne, 3. Rory Brickenden, 4. Sam Callinan; 5. Donnacha McHugh, 6. Stephen Coen, 7. Enda Hession; 8. Matthew Ruane, 9. Jack Carney; 10. Bob Tuohy, 11. Fergal Boland, 12. Jordan Flynn; 13. Aidan O'Shea, 14. Tommy Conroy, 15. Ryan O'Donoghue.