All eyes will be on Hyde Park Roscommon this Sunday as Fergal O’Donnell’s men bid to win back to back Connacht championships. James Horan’s Mayo side stand in their way. It has all the ingredients of a cracker in front of a packed house.
While Roscommon operated in division four of the league and Mayo were in division one, it is Roscommon who bring better recent form to the games, albeit against New York and Leitrim.
Roscommon supporters will be hoping that their side can retain the title on Sunday and in doing so put to bed the theory that they won a soft provincial crown last year having avoided both Mayo and Galway. It would also help to atone for the 20-point hammering they received from Mayo in 2009.
Mayo needed extra-time to see off London and have also beaten a poor Galway side. Roscommon certainly have a great chance of collecting silverware again on Sunday but they will need big performance from the likes of Donie Shine and Senan Kilbride up front, and Peter Domican will have to curb the influence of danger-man Alan Freeman.
If I had to put my neck on the line I would have to give the nod to the visiting side as their greater experience of playing at a higher level cannot be ignored. I’ll be happy to be proven wrong though.
