Ladies lose after troubled build-up

TG4 Connacht Ladies Football SFC Sligo      3-14 Roscommon 1-10 Roscommon ladies were well beaten by last year’s All-Ireland  junior champions Sligo in the first round of this year’s Connacht Senior Championship which was played in O’Rourke Park, Castlerea last Saturday evening.   Roscommon’s preparations for this game were less than perfect and in the wake of Saturday night’s defeat team manager   Brian Higgins resigned his position (see story below).   However despite the problems behind the scenes Roscommon performed well in the circumstances.   Sligo were the stronger side all through and they led by 3-9 to 0-6 at the break. Imelda McNulty scored Sligo’s first goal in the 15th minute and the Yeats County scored two goals within a minute before half-time with Marion O’Donnell and Louise Brett finding the Roscommon net. Roscommon were well behind but they never gave up and Emer Casey was brilliant at midfield and she contributed one goal and seven points to Roscommon’s total. The Roscommon goal came in the 52nd minute when Casey converted and the Ballinameen girl was deservedly named as the player of the match afterwards.   However many problems remain and it is not going to get any easier as recent All-Ireland senior champions Galway are the visitors to play Roscommon in the next round next weekend.  Roscommon: S. Finnerty; M. Keeneghan, F. Gavin, E. Hussey; C. Kelly, L. Sharkey, S. Cooney; A. McGeeney, E. Casey (1-7); K. O’Sullivan (0-1), M. Carey (0-1), N. Tully; J. Downey (0-1), T. Taylor, C. Raftery. Subs: C. Grehan for Hussey; P. Keadin for Raftery. Seamus Duke writes: The manager of the Roscommon ladies senior team Brian Higgins resigned in the wake of the defeat against Sligo. He has blamed alleged a lack of commitment on the part of some players, lack of co-operation on the part of some officials of the County Board and other behind-the-scenes issues as the reasons for his decision to step down.      Speaking to The Roscommon People on Tuesday Ladies Co. Board chairman Martin McDermott said that he had ‘no comment’ to make on the decision of Brian Higgins to step down. However he did say that a selection committee would be in place to take charge of the team for the next match against Galway in the Connacht Championship next weekend.