The Galway U-21 footballers head to Kiltoom tomorrow evening (Friday ) to take on the current Connacht champions Roscommon in the first round of the Connacht U-21 championship at 7.30pm.
There is considerable interest in this game in both counties after last year's Connacht final between both sides was a real cracker at Tuam Stadium. Roscommon eventually prevailed by 3-14 to 3-11, but they subsequently lost the All-Ireland semi-final by 0-17 to 0-12 to eventual winners Tyrone.
Gerry Fahy is the Galway manager this year and he and his management team have picked a strong 15 to take on the home side.
The team is captained by Galway senior player Enda Tierney at centre-back and he is joined by senior teammate Eamonn Brannigan who wears the number 11 jersey.
Other senior panellists who will be expected to provide leadership and produce big performances are Moycullen's Peter Cooke, Paul Mannion, and Killanin's Rory Greene. Mountbellew-Moylough are well represented on the side with Michael Daly, Colm Mannion and Eoin Finnerty all in the starting line-up.
Roscommon will be tough to beat and Gaelic football is on a genuine high in the county at the moment.
They are going great guns in division one of the National Football League with three wins on the trot and senior players such as Niall McInerney, Ronan Daly and Diarmuid Murtagh will have to be kept on a tight rein tomorrow evening. They will have massive home support tomorrow evening and the Galway lads will have to be ready and up for the job of slaying the dragon in his own den.
Roscommon have a good few other players who were on last year's squad too, such as goalkeeper Shane Mannion, Ultan Harney and Tadgh O' Rourke.
It has the makings of a top-class encounter and whichever side comes through this first round joust will fancy their chances of collecting a provincial title.
Galway U-21 v Roscommon: Tadhg O’Malley (Leitir Mór ), Luke Burke (Caltra ), Oisín Canney (Clonbur ), Rory Green (Killanin ), Kieran Molloy (Corofin ) Enda Tierney (cpt ) (Oughterard ), Brian Shaughnessy (Ballinasloe ), Michael Daly (Mountbellew-Moylough ), Peter Cooke (Maigh Chuilinn ), Jason Lyons (Barna ), Eamonn Brannigan (St Michael’s ), Paul Mannion (Kilconly ), Antaine Ó Laoi (An Spídeál ), Eoin Finnerty (Mountbellew-Moylough ), Colm Mannion (Mountbellew-Moylough ).
