FBD League Final
Galway v Roscommon on Sunday in Tuam at 1.30 pm
This is a very welcome additional competitive game for Anthony Cunningham, his selectors and the players ahead of what is going to be a very tough league campaign which starts in Castlebar on Saturday week.
If Mayo had won in Tuam last Sunday Roscommon would have had to travel to Castlebar two weekends in a row which was not a very appetising prospect. Now Roscommon can have a look at other systems and players as they ramp up their preparations.
Galway pipped Mayo after a penalty shootout last Sunday and they fielded a strong team on the day. Sean Andy O’Ceallaigh will be full-back again this week while Kevin Walsh tried out John Daly at centre half-back and he scored two points in an impressive display.
Up front Michael Farragher of Corofin and Barry McHugh were impressive and it was noticeable that Shane Walsh and Damien Comer took no part against Mayo. Maybe we will see them in Tuam on Sunday.
Of more interest to our readers will be the Roscommon team. Hopefully Sean Mullooly is not as badly injured as was first feared. He won’t play on Sunday. Gary Patterson and Conor Hussey are new recruits to the defence and they will surely get another run on Sunday. Evan McGrath and Dara Pettit also looked good when introduced last Sunday while Tadgh O’Rourke and Caoileann Fitzmaurice will be up against it in midfield, but these are the games to see what our options are.
The Smiths, Ciarán Lennon, Cathal Cregg, Shane Killoran, and Niall Kilroy all did well at various times at the weekend and I would like to see Colin Compton get a longer stint. He knows where the posts are and could be a big addition in attack.
It’s not the result that matters in Tuam on Sunday. The performance is everything, and a further chance to get ready for MacHale Park on Saturday week. That’s what it’s all about.
Prediction: Galway
