ROSCOMMON v WESTMEATH.

[Croí na hÉireann]

What do I know, from Hoganstand...

Dolan returns for Lake County

Westmeath have been boosted by the return of Dessie Dolan from injury for Sunday's NFL Division 2 clash with Roscommon at Hyde Park.

The former All-Star had featured as a late substitute in the defeat to Cork a fortnight ago, when he had an equalizing 'point' controversially disallowed in injury-time, and will be in from the start against the Rossies after recovering from a hamstring problem.

Fergal Wilson also returns after serving a four-week suspension following his dismissal against Meath, and is named in a new-look half forward line which also features Dolan. Alan Mangan moves from the '40' to right corner forward, while there is a first start for Athlone's Dermot Bannon at top of the left.

Dropping to the bench from the last day are Bannon's club-mates Damien Kelly and Mickey Greene, along with former All-Ireland minor winner Tommy Cleary.

Westmeath (SF v Roscommon): G Connaughton; F Boyle, K Gavin, J Keane; M Ennis, D Heavin, D Healy; M Flanagan, D Duffy; F Wilson, D Dolan, D O'Donoghue; A Mangan, D Glennon, D Bannon.

Surprised to see Willo straight back in there but I suppose it shows that O'Flaherta sees him as crucial to the team. Need to settle on the two remaining forward positions, looks like Budda is gonna claim one with the other up for grabs. Good to see that Gary isn't giving up the ghost on promotion anyway...

Connaughton not giving up on promotion

Westmeath's highly-rated goalkeeper Gary Connaughton is refusing to give up hope of promotion to Division 1 of the NFL.

Tipped as potential relegation candidates at the start of the season, the Lake County have answered their critics with impressive wins over Armagh and Meath, and were beaten narrowly by Dublin and Cork in their other two outings. On Sunday, they face a local derby clash with struggling Roscommon at Hyde Park and nothing less than a win will keep them in the hunt for promotion from Division 2.

"Every game in Division 2 is difficult and Roscommon fall into the same bracket, especially with the local derby element attached to it, but we still have hopes to get promoted and have to be thinking about winning on Sunday to help us in that respect," he said.

"We know it's going to be tough, though. Roscommon will be hurting after the defeat to Armagh and keen to make up for it, but we are playing pretty well and believe we're capable of winning all three remaining games.

"Our defence is playing really well, the likes of Francis Boyle, Derek Heavin, Damien Healy and John Keane have been terrific recently. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get Dessie Dolan, Denis Glennon and Fergal Wilson on the pitch at the same time. I'm not sure if it will happen this week either," the Tubberclair man added.

Anyone know why there hasn't been any sightings of Connellon this year, yet he was turning out for the U21s???

Going to Chicago for the summer so withdrew from the panel from the start.
Team named, Dolan Wilson and Dermot Bannon all start.

That clears that up, thanks for that shark.

[AN other]

Strongest team of the year so far I think. As Gary was saying, first team that has Wilson, Dolan and Glennon in it together.
O'Flaherta seems to be persevering with trying out Dermot Bannon this year even though he does appear a bit light to me, he must be turning it on in training, perhaps the John Smith of 2008......
It seems that O'Flaherta is also intent on playing Dolan in around the half forward line, that's the way it's been for most of his stint in charge. In fairness, he does a trojan amount of good work throughout the pitch when he's out and about there, but we could do with another one of him inside.
I think 1 to 9 is about as strong as it's going to get, O'Shaughnessey might strengthen midfield if he returns but I think it's more or less what the first choice championship No.s 1-7/8 is going to be. It's good to have it settled on so early in the year. I just hope all avoid injury.
Not surprised to see Cleary dropped, the bench does look a bit stronger than it has been as a result, with Greene there also. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see one of them make an early entry. (Probably for Bannon or Mangan....)
Need to be winning this one. If we do I wouldn't be at all surprised if we sneaked promotion, it'd be great to go into the championship with a head of steam, hasn't happened in a while.

[spectator]

Shannonside reporting the game tomorrow has been re-arranged for Kiltoom @ 2.30pm

[Rossfan]

It is indeed. There was a rumour doing the rounds last night that the Hyde wouldnt be playable.
It was confirmed today before the game when the "maoir" wouldnt let anyone drive up to park in the fields beside the pitch as they needed them fo tomorrow.
At this rate we may as well sell off the Hyde altogether.
As for tomorrow - No Hope for us.

[Rudi]

Match delayed by 10mins due to big crowd in Kiltoom. All Westmeath after 20 mins they lead by 4pts to 1pt. 3 frees from Dolan, pt from play from Glennon, Ros score from O Gara. By shannonside accounts WMeath should have had a goal, Ros ate alive in midfield.

After 32mins its 6pts to 3 Mangan (2) & Glennon for WMeath. Heneghan & Dunning

34mins goal from Denis Glennon a gift wraped goal

1.7 to 0.3 for WMeath bye bye John Maughan no way back.

Never can I recall Roscommon as bad as this current campaign, the talent pool is low but not this low.

41mins 1pt for Ros from free - Cox.

Dessie Dolan 3 pts 1 for Heneghan now 7 pts up after 50mins, Sounds like O Gara is the only man playing for Roscommon, Big Seamie in at full forward

1.12 to 0.6 Disgusting, no confidence that can only mean one thing, we have to play Dublin next weekend, God love us

Mind as well not peg the toys out of the pram and continue with commentary on our darkest 70 mins, apparently everybody even the Westmeath ones are leaving early. Westmeath by all accounts are taking it easy on Ros fair play to them cause it could have easily been another Crossmageln.

1.14 to 0.6, Jaysus thats brutal. Good luck to WMeath 6 out of 10pts with Cavan & Monaghan to play. Thats a final score. Take no pleasure in seeing a man lose his job, but Maughan just has to go. This is brutal & thats no disrespect to WMeath they could have won by 20. Thank God I did not travel, feel sorry for the poor Rossies who did. Never felt as miserable about Roscommon as I do now.

[AhFeckRef]

Westmeath 1-14, Roscommon 0-6 at the moment!

[Rossie11]

A blessing in disguise in my book.  The U21s can be withdrawn from Dublin game next week to concentrate on Connacht final before that idiot kills whatever talent is in the county.
                              
The clown was on radio laughing and joking about Celebrity Bainisteoir during the week. Its you who is the joke John.   
You haven't a clue. Now kindly piss off..   

[neilthemac]

i'd have more faith in glenda gilson than maughan at this stage

[Rossie11]

And if he is not sacked before the championship then our county board will prove they have about as much balls as the same Glenda...

[mannix]

Blame maughan, yes it could not be the players fault. Face facts lads you simply do not have the players and you most certainly do not have the attitude to contend for much.
I am a Mayo man, I really would love to see ross,sligo and leitrim out on the pitch in headquarters against whoever.Connaught is a 2 horse race only because the rest do not try hard enough.

[Turlough O Carolan]

And if he is not sacked before the championship then our county board will prove they have about as much balls as the same Glenda...

It's the Roscommon County Board who should all be forced to resign tonight.

How they can allow all those U21 players who played such a tough game last night line out again less than 12 hours later is an absolute disgrace. That they put a motion before congress that was supposed to protect young players from burnout shows the height of their hyprocracy.

Go now. You are a disgrace.

[Rudi]

Blame maughan, yes it could not be the players fault. Face facts lads you simply do not have the players and you most certainly do not have the attitude to contend for much.
I am a Mayo man, I really would love to see ross,sligo and leitrim out on the pitch in headquarters against whoever.Connaught is a 2 horse race only because the rest do not try hard enough.

Thats bullchit of the highest order, Sligo are the current Connacht champs & represented Connacht verses Cork in headquarters. Roscommon minors won the all Ireland in 2006. How many did Mayo lose before winning an u21 the same year? Ros were the pin up boys as Eugene McGee put it after beating Dublin for the third time in successive years in Parrnell Park, that was 5 years ago. Since then we have had well documented disciplinary problems with about 5 players, since then Maughan has come in got rid of the offending players, net result is we have no leaders on the field & are getting our arses kicked by all around us. The talent is not fantastic at the moment in Ros, however the manager must accept fault when we are on the receiving end of an unprecedented hammering from Armagh & WMeath had they not took pity on us would have beaten us by 20 points. Was not at the game today rang the brothers who left Kiltoom 9 mins into the second half, as the body language of the players told them the games inevitable conclusion. The players have no leaders to look up too, or no confidence, its up to a manager to instill confidence into players, instead Maughan is only interested ranking on 2fm about celebrity bainsteoir & giving players like Mike Ryan, Paul Noone, Frankie Dolan, Francie Grehan, Stephen Lohan, Shane Curran, John Whyte, David Casey, John Rodgers Nigel Dineen the door or no option but to take the door. In the mean time talented minors from 2006 are subjected to rudderless performances like Crossmageln & Kiltoom. Must say thought Maughan did a good job in Mayo but is taking the piss big time in Ros, come to think of it he did a pretty poor job in Fremanagh too.

[dodo]

Highlights of game now about to be shown on RTE 2 TV.

[spectator]

i'd have more faith in glenda gilson than maughan at this stage

Blame maughan, yes it could not be the players fault. Face facts lads you simply do not have the players and you most certainly do not have the attitude to contend for much.
Connaught is a 2 horse race only because the rest do not try hard enough.

That's a lazy condescending assessment, which in no way takes into account JM's management of Ros during his time in charge.

Now in his third year in charge, he hasn't managed to establish a settled panel in that time.

Initially, he axed several experienced players with proven leadership qualities from the squad without giving them so much as a sniff of a chance - with little thought as to who'd take up the leadership mantle apparently - while he played Russian Roulette with a seeming conveyor belt of new, inexperienced players.

Humiliatingly enough for himself in this regard, he found himself eventually bowing to majority Rossie opinion & admitting that he was wrong in his assessment, by actually recalling the still very capable Frankie Dolan to the panel for this Maughan's third year in charge.

His first two years were a failure - he alienated many of those established players who survived his cull but had remained involved. He couldn't get them to buy into his philosophies & criminally for a Roscommon team of any description, sent out sides wearing Primrose & Blue who possessed little of the passion, spirit, toughness & tenacity traditionally associated with the jersey. There was little evidence of a gameplan throughout either, let alone a Plan B.

Now in his third year in charge, as a final hurrah perhaps, he's unfairly turning to underage players to bail him out at senior level  ...

The County Board strategy, one assumes, is for him to be regarded outside the county as the manager who steadied the ship & progressed the 2006 Minor All-Ireland winners onto the senior stage.

That's not how he'll be seen in Ros by the ever loyal long suffering supporters though - who' ve experienced too close a view of his mis-management to fall for that oul lazy codswallop.

The initial two years of mis-management were a disaster, whatever about the possibility of the latest ' Bring The Young Lads Through Prematurely Plan' eventually coming to fruition.

The criticism Rossies have has nothing to do with JM being a Mayo man - if he was a Rossie rest assured he wouldn't have lasted this long.

While he was a good manager during his time in Mayo, his philosophies now appear outdated & sadly, his experience with Ros thus far suggests he no longer has the ability to build a team in a sustainable planned manner. He's all about knee-jerk, short term, headless fixes these days.

We just hope now that he won't ruin our good young players through introducing them to senior football a few years too early.

'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger' has to be the prevailing hope for all involved in Ros football these days.

[Croí na hÉireann]

Decent enough performance from Westmeath on a tight pitch which we usually struggle on. Glennon was class once more and tore his man assunder, only Coldrick will know how he stayed on de field. Took his goal very well. Dessie back to form, only dropped on attempt short from play, everything else went over the black spot. Even Budda got a couple without threatening to do anything. Young Bannon was disappointing, too light for this level although he didn't seem to let the no 4's intimidating off the ball antics get to him. Kelly did ok but didn't do enough to suggest he'll threaten come championship. Donal O'D still doing well in his new role.

Anyone know what happened to Frankie and Willo? Didn't see them at the game, did they injure themselves during the week??? Doran Harte did well but he wasn't really tested, same more or less for all the backs, dealt well with whatever came at them. Special mention to Nachie, was up and down the park all day and took his points well at the end. Midfield were on top although Mannion at least tried to compete. Duffy excellent again, ideal model of how to deal with 3rd man/late tackles, completely ignores them and when he gets the chance goes in hard the next time. Someone should send a copy on to Pillar and Vaughan...

Westmeath have a lot more in the tank than yesterday and disappointed the Rossies didn't threaten us more. There's something obviously not right in the setup and it looks like it's gonna be a while yet before they turn it around. Maughan must have been getting some abuse from behind the dugout as he was on Sunday Sport giving out about them saying that they were not GAA fans but GAA customers. Then cut back to the studio where Tohill reminded Michael that the customer is always right... 

Speaking of Sunday Sport, there must be someone else in the country apart from Tohill who can give good analysis. From a Westmeath perspective Goggins has joined "Can you hear me Tommy?" Carney and "Breaking Ball" Lyons in totally dismissing Westmeaths chances. Apparently Monaghan have an easy two points in their last game  . Now I know I should be glad that we're kinda slipping under the radar but a little bit of respect and informed analysis wouldn't go astray...

Nice grounds Brigids have there but by Jaysus it's a nightmare to get away from. Thanks Christ we managed to get to the main road before it came to a standstill and God bless the cars we followed who knew the backroads... Special mention though to the programme sellers who took a €2 coin instead of changing a €20 and to the ticket seller who asked me was I a student, always head to the aul ones...