Mayo to provide a timely test
Roscommon will play their second game of the 2026 FBD League campaign when they host Mayo at King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park this Sunday (1 pm).
Last Sunday, new manager Mark Dowd got off to a winning start when his team easily accounted for Leitrim, winning by 5-17 to 0-14.
This weekend’s fixture should provide a more realistic assessment of the current standing of the Roscommon team.
Without the Strokestown and St Brigid’s contingent, Mark Dowd and his selectors will be able to take a look at more new players in a competitive environment. The team selection will be interesting, given that Roscommon’s Allianz NFL Division One opener against Kerry (in Killarney) is coming up later this month.
Mayo started their campaign under their new manager Andy Moran with a six-point win (1-17 to 1-11) against Sligo in Charlestown last weekend and they will be anxious to lay down a marker against Roscommon ahead of the commencement of the league. It promises to be a good competitive workout for both teams.
Meanwhile, Mark Dowd’s first competitive game in charge of the Roscommon senior footballers turned out to be not that competitive as they completely overwhelmed Leitrim in their FBD League opener which was switched to Bekan last Sunday.
Elphin was the original venue, but a frozen pitch meant that the match was moved to the Connacht Centre of Excellence, and with a number of new faces on board Roscommon showed a clean pair of heels to their opponents with some excellent attacking play, especially in the first half.
Sean Kelly (Clann na nGael), Conor Ryan, Caelim Keogh and Jack Tumulty (Pádraig Pearses), Eoin Ward (Fuerty) and Darragh Heneghan (Michael Glaveys) all started and impressed as Roscommon eased into the new season with a good win.
Early scores from Cian McKeon (a goal and a point) set the tone. Roscommon then blitzed Leitrim with three goals and a point within four minutes, and by the 19th minute the game was over as a contest, Roscommon leading by 4-7 to 0-3. Two of those goals came from Diarmuid Murtagh, with the other one a fine effort from Tumulty.
Diarmuid Murtagh… scored 2-3 against Leitrim last Sunday. File photo: Bernie O’Farrell
Leitrim improved before the break with Jack Kelly and Paul Honeyman catching the eye, but at half-time Roscommon still had 14 points to spare, 4-10 to 0-8.
Mark Dowd brought on a number of substitutes before the break – including Eoin Colleran and Declan Kenny (Pearses) and Paddy Gavin (Clann na nGael) – the manager availing of the opportunity to blood ‘new’ players.
The second half saw Roscommon continue to dominate and the fifth goal arrived in the 55th minute from another sub, Oisin Cregg (Boyle). Among the subs used in the second half was Richard Hughes (Roscommon Gaels) who has returned to the panel after being away for over a year.
Roscommon: Sean Kelly; Tim Lambe, Eoin McCormack, Mark Richardson; Eoin Ward (0-1), Caelim Keogh, Ronan Daly; Keith Doyle, Conor Ryan; Dylan Ruane (0-1), Cian McKeon (1-5, 1 2p), Darragh Heneghan (0-4); Diarmuid Murtagh (2-3), Ciarán Lennon, Jack Tumulty (1-1). Subs: Eoin Colleran for Tumulty (27), Declan Kenny (0-1) for Ward (27), Paddy Gavin for T Lambe (h/t), Oisin Cregg (1-0) for Daly (h/t), Cathal Heneghan for McKeon (42), Evan Flynn for McCormack (44), Senan Lambe (0-1) for Doyle (48), Richard Hughes for Ryan (49), Sean Canning for Ruane (51).
Leitrim: Daire O’Shea; Sean Harkin, Kieran Clancy, Eoin McLoughlin; Eanna McNamara, James Rooney, Bailey McBride; Cillian McGloin, Mark Diffley (0-1); Tom Prior (0-3), Riordan O’Rourke (0-1), Keith Keegan; Evan Harkin, Paul Honeyman (0-1), Jack Kelly (0-6, 4 frees). Subs: Cathal McHugh for McGloin (15), Ruari O’Rourke (0-1) for Honeyman (h/t), Fergal McLoughlin for McBride (h/t), Arek Oberwan for McLoughlin (h/t), Ben Guckian (0-1) for Harkin (42), Tom Plunkett for Clancy (52).
Referee: Paul Lydon (Mayo).