Roscommon v Galway - Connacht SFC Final 2017 [Wind Tunnel, 9/7/17]

[shark]

Just wanted to add my congratulations to Ros and their fans on here. Also happy for McStay. He got a lot of criticism for the past year. Maybe the hard work at underage is starting to show for Ros now.

PS, Roscommon must be praying for relegation every year now. 2010 and 2017... Well done once again.

They have to follow up with a semi final. No point in losing another quarter final.

Yes indeed let's not be copying Galway's history of failures since 2001 .
You're right though Seafóid, time to put the Cup away now and get down to preparing for (most likely) the Rhubarbs on the 30th.
While Sunday was glorious we can't just let it be an end in itself but rather the start of a wonderful magical mystery tour for the next few years.
The Minors of 2011/12 who became the U21s of 2014/15 will hopefully be spoken of with awe as the Seniors of 2017- 20??.
Also hopefully the conversation at pub counters from Ballyfarnon to Ballyforan in the 2030s will be which team was better 43/44 or 2017-20??.
Raise up the standard high
Wave banners to the sky
Follow them on through sunshine or rain
Shout with a mighty roar
Let the world know once more
MEN OF ROSCOMMON ARE MARCHING AGAIN!!!!

Rossfan

How funny that you mention 2001.  Very few people outside the county would remember that Ros won the Connacht final. that year.
The Dermot Earley/Murray combo of the late 70s was the last Rossie outfit to make an attempt to capture Sam 
A lot of football is psychological. Ros need the right attitude for the next match.
And they need consistency. Ros never built on 91, 01 or 2010

Roscommon partied too much in 2001 - everyone knows it.
it was seen as a reward for the 1998-2001 panel
the team was let off the leash too much and weren't ready for a quarter final, especially Galway again and not in Croke Park but in McHale of all places

1/4 final draw in 2001 could have been so much more interesting. All of Roscommon and Westmeath were dying to get drawn against each other.

[Maroon Manc]

That first goal didn't reflect well on Galway either, you've got to give credit to Murtagh for a brilliant pass and Connolly for the finish but leaving one defender inside our own 45 when playing against the wind is brainless.

I thought that pass from Murtagh was sensational. One of the highlights of the championship to date, and topped off with a lovely finish.

While Enda Smith caught some unbelieveable ball, he turned over an awful lot of it. So still room for improvement.

I thought Kilroy 11 and McManus 3 were huge players for Roscommon. Won a sea of ball around the middle, dominating the breaks and usually used it really well (I know McManus kicked one handy pass straight over the sideline, but otherwise didn't do much wrong).

Although my favourite player of the day was Shane Walsh. Playing on a rubbish team (on the day) he managed to shine like a beacon.

Will probably watch it again at some stage but initial reaction that Enda Smith got on a lot more ball than anyone else around the middle, agree on Shane Walsh. Considering Walsh is predominantly right footed he kicked a great free against the wind with his left, ability wise he can be on the best players in the country but he's got a long way to go before that happens. Considering Gough was dishing out yellows for nothing all day I couldn't believe it when he didn't speak to the Roscommon man who siphoned Walsh down midway through the 2nd half.

Still can't get my head around how bad we were in the middle considering the obvious height and physical advantage. We were dreadful but you have to give Roscommon as they had done their homework on galway's kickouts although it probably didn't take McStay long to work it out. Galway's kickout plan or lack of it is by far the most frustrating aspect of Walsh's reign.

[Maroon Manc]

Thats a very poor attempt from O'Donnell to try and stop Stack for that second goal, I'm far from convinced about his defensive qualities. Anyone else think Kerin did ok for a man who'd been out for so long? That first goal didn't reflect well on Galway either, you've got to give credit to Murtagh for a brilliant pass and Connolly for the finish but leaving one defender inside our own 45 when playing against the wind is brainless. I just don't see what Flynn brings to the team from half forward, FOC was very poor yesterday too and don't see why both need to start.

The reality is until we can bring in 3 or 4 defenders of better quality we're not going to trouble the top table but looking at the last 5 goals we've conceded against Tipp & Roscommon they all easily been avoided. Both games we were flat but its the kickouts that has killed us, completely dominated in both games.

Just don't know what to think of Lavelle, he's certainly not helped by how slow some of our backs seem to react but his 2 championship appearances to date have been in terrible conditions.

Not only that but the defender's positioning was all wrong which caused him to loose track of Connolly - it's fairly basic stuff to stay between the forward and the goal in a situation like this.

Overall the Galway defending was basket case stuff and until this and the kickout situation gets resolved they are going nowhere.

Looking ahead a bit, they are likely going to be massively up against it in Division 1 next year.

Delighted to be in Div 1, its where we need to be. Even if Galway end up been relegated they'll have got something out of it ala Roscommon.  I don't think it will be as difficult as this seasons as I'd imagine Donegal & Monaghan will treat the league slightly differently and Mayo tend to just do enough to stay up.

[Syferus]

There was only a couple occasions where Enda turned the ball over Hound, and I've watched the match enough times to know that for definite now. One was near the end when I don't even know how he was still running at all and the ball slipped away from him, it had feck all to do with Galway because his markers could barely lay a hand on him. His hands in absolutely brutal Salthill conditions where honestly incredible. He might have put in the single best performance by a Roscommon player that I've seen in my life.

I suppose you wouldn't know much about how wet and windy a match in Salthill is, though.. 

[GalwayBayBoy]

That first goal didn't reflect well on Galway either, you've got to give credit to Murtagh for a brilliant pass and Connolly for the finish but leaving one defender inside our own 45 when playing against the wind is brainless.

I thought that pass from Murtagh was sensational. One of the highlights of the championship to date, and topped off with a lovely finish.

While Enda Smith caught some unbelieveable ball, he turned over an awful lot of it. So still room for improvement.

I thought Kilroy 11 and McManus 3 were huge players for Roscommon. Won a sea of ball around the middle, dominating the breaks and usually used it really well (I know McManus kicked one handy pass straight over the sideline, but otherwise didn't do much wrong).

Although my favourite player of the day was Shane Walsh. Playing on a rubbish team (on the day) he managed to shine like a beacon.

Still can't get my head around how bad we were in the middle considering the obvious height and physical advantage.

I think the kickouts (again) played a big part in this. Even when Lavelle went long he was putting a low trajectory on his kicks which completely negated the height and size advantage Galway had around the middle. He was putting kickouts straight into the bread basket of Roscommon players. They didn't even have to jump for a lot of them.

[Maroon Manc]

That first goal didn't reflect well on Galway either, you've got to give credit to Murtagh for a brilliant pass and Connolly for the finish but leaving one defender inside our own 45 when playing against the wind is brainless.

I thought that pass from Murtagh was sensational. One of the highlights of the championship to date, and topped off with a lovely finish.

While Enda Smith caught some unbelieveable ball, he turned over an awful lot of it. So still room for improvement.

I thought Kilroy 11 and McManus 3 were huge players for Roscommon. Won a sea of ball around the middle, dominating the breaks and usually used it really well (I know McManus kicked one handy pass straight over the sideline, but otherwise didn't do much wrong).

Although my favourite player of the day was Shane Walsh. Playing on a rubbish team (on the day) he managed to shine like a beacon.

Still can't get my head around how bad we were in the middle considering the obvious height and physical advantage.

I think the kickouts (again) played a big part in this. Even when Lavelle went long he was putting a low trajectory on his kicks which completely negated the height and size advantage Galway had around the middle. He was putting kickouts straight into the bread basket of Roscommon players. They didn't even have to jump for a lot of them.

Prime example being the 2nd goal, I saw an article yesterday somewhere criticising Lavelle for his starting position when taking a kickout as it left him unable to kick it Heaney who was the only free man. In fairness to Lavelle the movement in front of him isn't good enough, the likes of Silke, Sweeney, Kyne & O'Donnell are too slow off the mark. We're certainly lacking some pace in the backs.

[seafoid]

There was only a couple occasions where Enda turned the ball over Hound, and I've watched the match enough times to know that for definite now. One was near the end when I don't even know how he was still running at all and the ball slipped away from him, it had feck all to do with Galway because his markers could barely lay a hand on him. His hands in absolutely brutal Salthill conditions where honestly incredible. He might have put in the single best performance by a Roscommon player that I've seen in my life.

I suppose you wouldn't know much about how wet and windy a match in Salthill is, though.. 

How many outstanding rossie performances would that encompass, syf?

[joemamas]

That first goal didn't reflect well on Galway either, you've got to give credit to Murtagh for a brilliant pass and Connolly for the finish but leaving one defender inside our own 45 when playing against the wind is brainless.

I thought that pass from Murtagh was sensational. One of the highlights of the championship to date, and topped off with a lovely finish.

While Enda Smith caught some unbelieveable ball, he turned over an awful lot of it. So still room for improvement.

I thought Kilroy 11 and McManus 3 were huge players for Roscommon. Won a sea of ball around the middle, dominating the breaks and usually used it really well (I know McManus kicked one handy pass straight over the sideline, but otherwise didn't do much wrong).

Although my favourite player of the day was Shane Walsh. Playing on a rubbish team (on the day) he managed to shine like a beacon.

Will probably watch it again at some stage but initial reaction that Enda Smith got on a lot more ball than anyone else around the middle, agree on Shane Walsh. Considering Walsh is predominantly right footed he kicked a great free against the wind with his left, ability wise he can be on the best players in the country but he's got a long way to go before that happens. Considering Gough was dishing out yellows for nothing all day I couldn't believe it when he didn't speak to the Roscommon man who siphoned Walsh down midway through the 2nd half.

Still can't get my head around how bad we were in the middle considering the obvious height and physical advantage. We were dreadful but you have to give Roscommon as they had done their homework on galway's kickouts although it probably didn't take McStay long to work it out. Galway's kickout plan or lack of it is by far the most frustrating aspect of Walsh's reign.

I know it is two years ago, but the same thing happened when Galway last played Donegal in a qualifier. It was at Croke Park and Donegal absolutely cleaned Galway at midfield and similar to last Sunday won a huge chunk of the balls that were not fielded cleanly.
Don't have the exact Galway lineout, but I believe a fair few of last Sunday's team were playing. I do remember Shane Walsh was injured and only came on when game was practically over.

[Syferus]

What's Galway's trouble with keepers about? You've three with significant starting experience on the panel now yet whoever is in goal they seem like an accident waiting to happen. For all our troubles over the years we've tended to have decent keepers, be it Thompson, Cake, Claffey, O'Malley and now Lavin.

Lavin in particular is a good example of a keeper who has been coached up and improved significantly in the last year or two. At U21 be wasn't using his size particularly well aerially, yet now he's much more safe under high balls. His kick-outs have improved as the season has progressed too, albeit he had a few poor ones in Galway's purple patch in the second half. Why can't Galway find a keeper they can develop into someone other teams don't look at as their ticket to a win?

[seafoid]

Jim Mc Guinness in the Irish Times


https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/jim-mcguinness-even-beijing-felt-force-of-roscommon-s-win-1.3149722

" It was interesting to read Kevin McStay saying they had challenged Enda Smith to release the potential they knew he had in the weeks before this game.
They were planting ideas and backing him and enabling him, really, to give the towering display he ultimately gave in Salthill. To me, that's good coaching. It might seem simple in retrospect but it was hugely important.
You can be sure they were doing the same with other players. They had a clear game plan and even if they wobbled a bit after going 1-6 ahead, the execution at the end of their time in training was the last piece of the jigsaw. I'm sure how they used the criticism and the hurt emanating from that was crucial too. You have to be able to channel negative emotions for your own use. Sometimes you can do that by asking questions. Have they the right to say that about us? Is that who we are?
And it all came together for them on Sunday afternoon.
..for some reason when I checked my watch, I had that vision of down town Roscommon on a warm July night and probably a few hundred straw hats knocking about and the pub doors still open and the guards turning a blind eye and a real buzz throughout the county. That sense of accomplishment that belongs to the entire county, that thing of: 'We did it. We got there'.
That's what Kevin McStay and Roscommon managed to create over the past few weeks.
That's unbeatable."

[galwayman]

What's Galway's trouble with keepers about? You've three with significant starting experience on the panel now yet whoever is in goal they seem like an accident waiting to happen. For all our troubles over the years we've tended to have decent keepers, be it Thompson, Cake, Claffey, O'Malley and now Lavin.

Lavin in particular is a good example of a keeper who has been coached up and improved significantly in the last year or two. At U21 be wasn't using his size particularly well aerially, yet now he's much more safe under high balls. His kick-outs have improved as the season has progressed too, albeit he had a few poor ones in Galway's purple patch in the second half. Why can't Galway find a keeper they can develop into someone other teams  don't look at as their ticket to a win?

Very good question. It's hard to believe we're so weak in that position.
All 3 on the panel now have had games where they've cost the team several scores due to a combination of terrible kickouts and/or mistakes.
Adrian Faherty is probably the last keeper we had that I thought was reasonably competent.
He hasn't played I think since the 2012 defeat to Antrim.
As far as I know he is still living in London.

[Syferus]

What's Galway's trouble with keepers about? You've three with significant starting experience on the panel now yet whoever is in goal they seem like an accident waiting to happen. For all our troubles over the years we've tended to have decent keepers, be it Thompson, Cake, Claffey, O'Malley and now Lavin.

Lavin in particular is a good example of a keeper who has been coached up and improved significantly in the last year or two. At U21 be wasn't using his size particularly well aerially, yet now he's much more safe under high balls. His kick-outs have improved as the season has progressed too, albeit he had a few poor ones in Galway's purple patch in the second half. Why can't Galway find a keeper they can develop into someone other teams  don't look at as their ticket to a win?

Very good question. It's hard to believe we're so weak in that position.
All 3 on the panel now have had games where they've cost the team several scores due to a combination of terrible kickouts and/or mistakes.
Adrian Faherty is probably the last keeper we had that I thought was reasonably competent.
He hasn't played I think since the 2012 defeat to Antrim.
As far as I know he is still living in London.

Ye'd want to be getting him a job at home or even looking to see if there's any good club soccer keepers because there's been so many tried at this stage Walsh can't be overlooking a great club keeper.

[Blowitupref]

Declan O'Keeffe former Kerry goalkeeper was brought into the Roscommon management team this year, out of interest who is the goalkeeping coach for Galway?

[Maroon Manc]

That first goal didn't reflect well on Galway either, you've got to give credit to Murtagh for a brilliant pass and Connolly for the finish but leaving one defender inside our own 45 when playing against the wind is brainless.

I thought that pass from Murtagh was sensational. One of the highlights of the championship to date, and topped off with a lovely finish.

While Enda Smith caught some unbelieveable ball, he turned over an awful lot of it. So still room for improvement.

I thought Kilroy 11 and McManus 3 were huge players for Roscommon. Won a sea of ball around the middle, dominating the breaks and usually used it really well (I know McManus kicked one handy pass straight over the sideline, but otherwise didn't do much wrong).

Although my favourite player of the day was Shane Walsh. Playing on a rubbish team (on the day) he managed to shine like a beacon.

Will probably watch it again at some stage but initial reaction that Enda Smith got on a lot more ball than anyone else around the middle, agree on Shane Walsh. Considering Walsh is predominantly right footed he kicked a great free against the wind with his left, ability wise he can be on the best players in the country but he's got a long way to go before that happens. Considering Gough was dishing out yellows for nothing all day I couldn't believe it when he didn't speak to the Roscommon man who siphoned Walsh down midway through the 2nd half.

Still can't get my head around how bad we were in the middle considering the obvious height and physical advantage. We were dreadful but you have to give Roscommon as they had done their homework on galway's kickouts although it probably didn't take McStay long to work it out. Galway's kickout plan or lack of it is by far the most frustrating aspect of Walsh's reign.

I know it is two years ago, but the same thing happened when Galway last played Donegal in a qualifier. It was at Croke Park and Donegal absolutely cleaned Galway at midfield and similar to last Sunday won a huge chunk of the balls that were not fielded cleanly.
Don't have the exact Galway lineout, but I believe a fair few of last Sunday's team were playing. I do remember Shane Walsh was injured and only came on when game was practically over.

Just had a look and 8 of the team who started on Sunday started in 15 against Donegal. I thought we were bullied physically that day around the middle especially in the 2nd half, think its a different problem we have now. We did well around the middle against Mayo, probably just about shaded it so to be cleaned out by a team who lack anyone physically imposing around the middle is pathetic. GalwayBayBoy has got it right about the trajectory of many of Lavelle's kickouts.

[Syferus]

That first goal didn't reflect well on Galway either, you've got to give credit to Murtagh for a brilliant pass and Connolly for the finish but leaving one defender inside our own 45 when playing against the wind is brainless.

I thought that pass from Murtagh was sensational. One of the highlights of the championship to date, and topped off with a lovely finish.

While Enda Smith caught some unbelieveable ball, he turned over an awful lot of it. So still room for improvement.

I thought Kilroy 11 and McManus 3 were huge players for Roscommon. Won a sea of ball around the middle, dominating the breaks and usually used it really well (I know McManus kicked one handy pass straight over the sideline, but otherwise didn't do much wrong).

Although my favourite player of the day was Shane Walsh. Playing on a rubbish team (on the day) he managed to shine like a beacon.

Will probably watch it again at some stage but initial reaction that Enda Smith got on a lot more ball than anyone else around the middle, agree on Shane Walsh. Considering Walsh is predominantly right footed he kicked a great free against the wind with his left, ability wise he can be on the best players in the country but he's got a long way to go before that happens. Considering Gough was dishing out yellows for nothing all day I couldn't believe it when he didn't speak to the Roscommon man who siphoned Walsh down midway through the 2nd half.

Still can't get my head around how bad we were in the middle considering the obvious height and physical advantage. We were dreadful but you have to give Roscommon as they had done their homework on galway's kickouts although it probably didn't take McStay long to work it out. Galway's kickout plan or lack of it is by far the most frustrating aspect of Walsh's reign.

How often have you actually seen Enda Smith, Manc? The lad is 6'3' and significantly more athletic than any of Galway's midfielders. The false narrative about the midfield was something I told you plainly about before the match, and wasn't really that much of a concern for Roscommon supporters as they had a lot of faith in Smith and TOR, who is far more in the mould of a modern mobile midfielder than FOC or Flynn are. And make no mistake, both are big strong lads too but they're more than simply that. The only concern in the middle was picking up those two and Conroy, but John Mac nullifying Flynn solved that problem for us.

We actually cut nearly all of our old style midfielders (and FFs) from the panel this year for one reason or another, and they will likely only return if their fitness levels are high enough to replicate what someone like TOR does in terms of all-round horse-work.

You're living in the past where a big talll lad meant you'd win the middle, they're massive defensive liabilities the way and the pace at which the sport is now played. Speed kills, and the lack if it kills a team too.

It's telling about where the sport has went that in 2001 the hero was Seamie O'Neill, as textbook a big wide midfielder as you will ever find, but in 2017 it's someone who is a footballer and athlete first in Enda Smith.