Rossies look to halt surge of old rivals Mayo
There are several intriguing dimensions to this year’s Connacht SFC and particularly to this Sunday’s quarter-final clash between Roscommon and Mayo in Castlebar.
Firstly, the top three places in Division 1 of this year’s Allianz Football League table were filled by Connacht teams - Mayo, Galway and Roscommon in that order - showing that the west is very much awake in a footballing sense.
Mayo backed up their impressive league campaign - which has led to considerable hope again rising about their All-Ireland title prospects - by defeating old rivals Galway in last Sunday’s final at Croke Park (0-14 to 0-11).
Now the green and red men must park their league success and quickly turn their focus to facing the Rossies.
Of course, the Kevin McStay subplot will garner plenty of attention, the now Mayo manager a Roscommon resident who previously managed the Rossies.
Indeed, McStay guided Roscommon to Connacht success in 2017, before meeting his native Mayo in the All-Ireland quarter-finals. They drew the first instalment of that quarter-final but Mayo won the replay in emphatic fashion.
When the sides met in the league last month, Mayo came out on top in the Hyde, but no doubt, Roscommon manager Davy Burke and his backroom team learned a lot from that encounter.
There has been plenty of reference to the lopsided nature of the draw for this year’s Connacht championship, with the three Division 1 heavyweights on one side. The winner of the Mayo v Roscommon clash will face 2022 All-Ireland finalists Galway in the Connacht semi-finals.
On the other side, one of Sligo, Leitrim, London or New York will reach the final. Sligo, Leitrim and London competed in Division 4 of the Allianz FL this year (with Sligo winning the final last Saturday) and, of course, rank outsiders New York don’t take part in the league. Reaching a provincial final this year has the bonus of securing a place in the All-Ireland series for the Sam Maguire Cup.
Irrespective of the result on Sunday, however, both Roscommon and Mayo are guaranteed a place in the inaugural group stages of the All-Ireland SFC.
There are all sorts of interesting questions and dilemmas ahead of Sunday’s eagerly awaited clash.
Who will Roscommon detail to mark the still influential Mayo talisman Aidan O’Shea? Can young Ben O’Carroll continue his exciting impact whether he starts or is sprung from the bench? Can Roscommon curb Mayo’s formidable midfield pairing of Diarmuid O’Connor and Matthew Ruane?
Roscommon did defeat Mayo in Castlebar in a 2019 Connacht semi-final (2-12 to 0-17) en route to winning the Nestor Cup. And they will be hoping to pull off another famous victory on Sunday.
Sunday’s match at Hastings MacHale Park (throw-in 4pm) will be televised live on RTE.
*See more on the Mayo v Roscommon game in this week's Westmeath Independent.