Mission Possible for Ros
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
FOR Roscommon and it's thousands of supporters, Next Sunday will be truly special. Not only is it Roscommon's first All-Ireland quarter final for several years, it will be a chance to show that Roscommon are not just there to make up the numbers, but to make a real push for that coveted Semi-Final spot.
I have always said in previews in the past that the particular game will not be easy and once again I repeat that statement. Cork are in the shake up for the crown itself, they are one of the top three (If you are to believe the Sunday Game lads) and have only tasted defeat to Kerry. So, they will be red hot favourites.
But one thing keeps niggling away. Last Saturday evening, they struggled to defeat Limerick in their qualifier and have the now famed six day turnaround ahead of a game that they will be expected to win easier than Workforce won the Derby at Epson. Somehow, I do not think it will be that simple.
Looking at both teams, Roscommon certainly had the easier of runs by beating Leitrim and London. But let me remind you about something. Both Leitrim and London came into their games with extremely high hopes and when they were beaten had to try and lift themselves for a qualifier that simply came too soon. The same with Sligo. They were red hot favourites to win the Connacht final after beating Galway and Mayo and after their defeat simply did not have a chance when facing Down last Saturday. My point is that while Roscommon had the easier of run ins, they still had to beat three teams who all fancied a long run in the championship. That may sound crazy but if you think about it, it actually makes sense.
Another thing has been the emergence of several players who have got better with every game. The performance of Cathal Dineen against Leitrim, Michael Finneran and Cathal Cregg against Sligo and of course Donie all year. They may have been the headline makers but throughout the year players like Ger Heneghan, Stephen Ormsby, Geoffrey Claffey, David Casey and several others have been working at the coalface and their hard work has laid the foundations for Roscommon's wins so far. They will once again have to be at their very best if they are to come away from Croker with the win.
Looking at Cork, it is a veritable who's who of Gaelic Football. Players like Quirke, Kissane, O'Leary, Canty and Goulding are known the length and breadth of the country and they have a great record in the championship, getting to the final last year. However, their performance against Limerick was not one of the best and if you read the newspapers from Monday, you will see that the reporters are not that kind.
The big question for Cork will be if they can lift themselves up in six days. That whole six day thing has been bandied about a lot recently in the case of Sligo and Monaghan who both lost provincial deciders and then had to get themselves ready for a qualifier just six days later. Shane Curran mentions it in his column so I wont go any further on it but that is what Cork have got to recover from what was a very tough game against a game Limerick side ahead of a game against a team who will be going all out to spring a so called surprise.
Roscommon need this and they will have to play the game of their collective lives if they are to do it. Another important factor will be support. With Meath and Kildare in the other game it will not be the cauldron it could have been were it Dublin so Roscommon supporters will have to be there in numbers to roar on the team.
Can Roscommon win this game? Miracles have already happened this year. Why not once more? Unfortunately this may be a step too far but it can happen.
Verdict : Roscommon (Only if they can repeat the heroics of Castlebar)
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