CONNACHT FINAL ROS v SLIGO 18th July 2010

[ross4life]

Thanks for that Ross4life
There have been a few replays recently.
id fancy Sligo by at least 5,but hopefully the Rossies will suprise all those who have written them off.

Yep i would go along with that & a good fighting display in a exciting final would be nice

[mjg]

We are written off by most and unmentioned in the media ( which will continue due to the Leinster Final business taking up most GAA space this week).
We have done nothing of note all year...except maybe batin Louth in the NFL. We conceded 2-20 to bloody Cavan.
Sligo have been doing mighty things ( esp according to Sligonian ) all year and are roaring favourites.
However all that has happened to date in 2010 will count for nothing next Sunday. All that will count is what happens in McHale from 4 pm onwards.
We will be there and we will be giving it our almighty best shot as it's a last chance of a Conancht medal for the likes of  Mannion/Dunning/Finneran/Rogers/Woggie/Casey to name a few of the older lads who may not be around next year.
We'll see what that brings us on the day and take it from there.
I am not without hope but realistically we only have a slim chance but a chance nonetheless 

Do ye want a loan of the Ballaghaderreen lads for the weekend, I'd love to see Sligonians reaction 

Sligo are the home team, so does that mean we should shout for them. Then again Roscommon are the underdogs so maybe we should support them!

We certainly dont  want the ballagh boys help because at the moment we wouldnt beat the tinkers out of charlestown although on second thoughts who wud

[ross matt]

I dont think there's much point in Ross supporters taking offence at being written off. Sligo are worthy favourites.

Fergie has made decent progress in getting to the Connacht final regardless of it being the weaker side of the draw. But in fairness to him it's a work in progress.

Sligo are at a completely different level not just in terms of the high intensity route they took to the final. They're also much more experienced and hardened outfit (mentally and physically) thanks to their breakthrough title in 2007.

However I think it will be a decent match. Ross can play with an element of abandon as there is no pressure on them compared to their opponents. If they put up a competitive decent performance they will enter the qualifiers with some confidence and feel things have finally tuned around.

For Sligo its the complete opposite. Nothing less than a win will be  a complete disaster and the qualifiers wont be appetising for them. Thats pressure. Too much pressure can lead to mistakes or key players freezing.

Slim chance of that happening but a chance nonetheless. Its the only way I can see Ross winning.

[ross4life]

We will be there and we will be giving it our almighty best shot as it's a last chance of a Conancht medal for the likes of  Mannion/Dunning/Finneran/Rogers/Woggie/Casey to name a few of the older lads who may not be around next year.

Don't wanna be picky Rossfan but Dunning has his Connacht senior medal already... have you forgotten about the important role he played in the winning goal back in 2001?

[SLIGONIAN]

Jees lads when you think about the furore in leinster, all next weekends refs,linemens and umpire will be feeling a little more pressure than usual. I pray our game has no controversy and the best team wins on the day fair and square.

Fair enough synopsis ross matt, midfield is a key area as usual, Tony Taylor is back in contention from injury, Mullen would be my first choice to be honest, his physicality will be vital against roscommon, I expect a physical approach from the ros, id say ye'll get in our faces, no doubt O Hara will be targetted and hopefully he'll stay away from trouble. I could see Roscommon drawing alot of fouls as Shine will punish us if are indisclipined within 45ms, I think ye know our weaknesses, we do, but these lads have strengths aswell, im not sure ye have the right men to exploit them, I could be wrong. Im still waiting to see Shine show himself from play, Alot of rossies would prefer him at CHF. I presuming Finneran and Mannion will be midfield, i have to say im confident of us winning that battle. I rate cregg highly, hes a very direct runner and could cause us problems, he has no problems finishing. Ross Donovan has to pick up heneghan. I maybe wrong but i cant roscommon going 1on1 with kelly, i expect an extra man in yer defence, we are not one man team though, i hope we in turn play the loose man in midfield and siege ye in from there which is what we should of done in 2nd half against galway but hopefully we learned that day. I expect McGee, Marren and Kelly to be our FF line, marren did well from play, mcgee is a better right foot free taker and we cant afford to miss what marren did against galway from frees. Id probably start Mullen and Gilmartin in midfield. Im hearing Mark Quinn is back in full training but dont hold me to that. Phillips will start but Quinn is great cover if fit. We really need to watch the breaks in the pocket, Clancy did some damage to us there but we eventually got on top there. We really need to create loads of space in mchale and not turn into a war, no overcrowding. We will have to be patient, in the league against Roscommon second team it took us until 5mins in 2nd half to pull away, this will even tougher and we need to stay calm and patient if Roscommon are on our heels the whole way through. The pressure has been on for the squad within the county from mayo game and the lads handled it, i expect us to handle on sunday. As i said before complacency cannot exist in sligo team because of the competition for places. No player can decide to give anything less than 100% when he knows he'll be taken off promptly. Complacency in my book is where players dont work as hard as possible and i just cant us doing but tbh I'll know in the first 5mins if we will win or not.

[ross4life]

I'll know in the first 5mins if we will win or not.

Yes like the Mayo fans last year v us

[ross matt]

Jees lads when you think about the furore in leinster, all next weekends refs,linemens and umpire will be feeling a little more pressure than usual. I pray our game has no controversy and the best team wins on the day fair and square.

Fair enough synopsis ross matt, midfield is a key area as usual, Tony Taylor is back in contention from injury, Mullen would be my first choice to be honest, his physicality will be vital against roscommon, I expect a physical approach from the ros, id say ye'll get in our faces, no doubt O Hara will be targetted and hopefully he'll stay away from trouble. I could see Roscommon drawing alot of fouls as Shine will punish us if are indisclipined within 45ms, I think ye know our weaknesses, we do, but these lads have strengths aswell, im not sure ye have the right men to exploit them, I could be wrong. Im still waiting to see Shine show himself from play, Alot of rossies would prefer him at CHF. I presuming Finneran and Mannion will be midfield, i have to say im confident of us winning that battle. I rate cregg highly, hes a very direct runner and could cause us problems, he has no problems finishing. Ross Donovan has to pick up heneghan. I maybe wrong but i cant roscommon going 1on1 with kelly, i expect an extra man in yer defence, we are not one man team though, i hope we in turn play the loose man in midfield and siege ye in from there which is what we should of done in 2nd half against galway but hopefully we learned that day. I expect McGee, Marren and Kelly to be our FF line, marren did well from play, mcgee is a better right foot free taker and we cant afford to miss what marren did against galway from frees. Id probably start Mullen and Gilmartin in midfield. Im hearing Mark Quinn is back in full training but dont hold me to that. Phillips will start but Quinn is great cover if fit. We really need to watch the breaks in the pocket, Clancy did some damage to us there but we eventually got on top there. We really need to create loads of space in mchale and not turn into a war, no overcrowding. We will have to be patient, in the league against Roscommon second team it took us until 5mins in 2nd half to pull away, this will even tougher and we need to stay calm and patient if Roscommon are on our heels the whole way through. The pressure has been on for the squad within the county from mayo game and the lads handled it, i expect us to handle on sunday. As i said before complacency cannot exist in sligo team because of the competition for places. No player can decide to give anything less than 100% when he knows he'll be taken off promptly. Complacency in my book is where players dont work as hard as possible and i just cant us doing but tbh I'll know in the first 5mins if we will win or not.

Roscommon's physicality is a lazy myth. They havent been physical for years. Sligo are muuch the harder outfit in this regard. And precioous Eamon wont have to be targeted. He's well able to draw the attention to himself and look after himself when it comes his way.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

I'll know in the first 5mins if we will win or not.

Yes like the Mayo fans last year v us

Or Kerry V us in an All-Ireland Final 

[Turlough O Carolan]

I maybe wrong but i cant roscommon going 1on1 with kelly,

Curious Sligonian if you knew David Kelly was a Roscommon man, born and bred, until his family moved to Tubercurry. Great player. As your former PRO wrote in the Herald, Roscommon's loss is Sligo's gain. That said, I can't see Ros putting 2 players on Kelly. Looking forward to the battle between Kelly and hopefully Ormsby on Sunday.

[stephenite]

Is this the early game on Sunday?

[ballinaman]

No, Ulster is on at 2pm.

[Bod Mor]

It's great seeing a Roscommon/Sligo final and the 'big' two not involved. It mixes it up a bit and shows how unpredictable things can get. Sligo have been excellent so far, the best team in the country to watch and hope they go on to represent Connacht in Croke park (no offence to Roscommon but I think Sligo are a far better team). If Roscommon prove me wrong then best of luck to them.

Anyway, good luck to both teams.

[stephenite]

No, Ulster is on at 2pm.

Cheers, would've preferred to watch the Sligo v Ross game, don't know that I'll be able to stay up to watch it now. Monday evening with the spuds to watch Sligo or the Rossies win Connacht it is so

[jjjshabadoojnr]

I maybe wrong but i cant roscommon going 1on1 with kelly,

Curious Sligonian if you knew David Kelly was a Roscommon man, born and bred, until his family moved to Tubercurry. Great player. As your former PRO wrote in the Herald, Roscommon's loss is Sligo's gain. That said, I can't see Ros putting 2 players on Kelly. Looking forward to the battle between Kelly and hopefully Ormsby on Sunday.

I think if memory serves me right his dad is from belmullet and the family moved from crossmolina to tubber when he was a young lad. Mayo's loss and all that....

[Tubberman]

There hasn't been a word from the Roscommon camp in weeks. And even the Ross posters here are keeping a pretty low profile!
They either don't believe they have much of a chance, or are waiting in the long grass to ambush the Black & Tans (O'Hara  ).
I think O'Donnell will have them well fired up and they should give a good account of themselves, but Sligo really should have the experience, physicality and skill to win this one by a few points in the end.

On David Kelly, his father is definitely from Belmullet but worked in the bank in Roscommon before Tubbercurry I think - not sure where the family lived, had a feeling it was somewhere in Mayo though...