Earley says relegation won’t hinder Roscommon’s manager search

PAUL EARLEY believes Roscommon’s relegation to Division Three won’t prevent them attracting a ‘top manager’ for the championship.

Caretaker boss Earley presided over just 45 minutes of training with his adopted panel before Saturday’s Dublin date and it told, as they slumped to a 22-points drubbing.

Goals from Conal Keaney and returning St Vincent’s duo Diarmuid Connolly and Tomas Quinn sealed an all too easy win for the hosts.

A bad night for Roscommon after a week of turmoil that began with John Maughan’s resignation was compounded by a serious injury to top scorer Ger Heneghan. He was left in agony after a clash with Ciaran Whelan and was taken to the Beaumont Hospital with shoulder damage.

He’s now a major doubt for their Connacht SFC opener against Galway on May 18, while defenders David Hoey (shoulder) and Paddy O’Connor (knocked unconscious) were casualties too. Against that background, with Galway awaiting in the championship and Division Three football on the horizon next year surely Roscommon will find it hard to fill Maughan’s boots? Not so, according to Earley.

“It may be difficult to attract a top manager, but people out there may also be attracted by the fact that the team is at a particularly low ebb at the moment, it can only go one way from here,” reasoned Earley. “There’s lots of good things happening in Roscommon, there are lots of good minors and the U21’s are in a Connacht final.”

Dublin, in contrast, remain unbeaten in 2008 and boss Paul Caffrey has handed vital game time to every member of his panel.

Paddy Andrews, Eoghan O’Gara and Kevin Nolan, introduced as newcomers against Roscommon, appear particularly exciting talents.

The influence that the All-Ireland winning St Vincent’s contingent can exert is clear too with Connolly and Tomas Quinn hitting 1-3 each while ‘keeper Mickey Savage, defender Ger Brennan and forward Tiernan Diamond all saw action.

There was a hint of fortune about Dublin’s three goals with Conal Keaney seizing on a rebound off the post for the first while Connolly miscued a looping shot into the net for the second.

Those scores helped Dublin into a 2-8 to 0-4 half-time lead and four unanswered points from top scorer Conal Keaney, Alan Brogan and Brendan McManamon after the restart finished off Roscommon.

Dublin didn’t stop there though and swooped for a third goal eight minutes from time. Quinn was the grateful recipient when the ball squirmed loose in the small square and kicked to an empty net.

DUBLIN: M Savage; D Murray, R McConnell, S O’Shaughnessy; B Cahill, G Brennan, P Andrews; C Whelan (0-1), S Ryan; B Brogan (0-3), A Brogan (0-1), B McManamon (0-3); D Connolly (1-3), C Keaney (1-5; 2f), T Quinn (1-3; 1f).

Subs: P Flynn for Ryan 29, D Magee for Whelan 49, T Diamond for A Brogan 54, K Nolan for McConnell 59, E O’Gara (0-1) for B Brogan 64.

ROSCOMMON: G Claffey; A Murtagh, A McDermott, S McDermott; D Hoey, E Kenny, J Tiernan; K Mannion, S O’Neill; M Finneran, G Cox, M O’Carroll; G Heneghan (0-3; 2f), J Dunning, S Kilbride (0-2).

Subs: D Keenan (0-1) for Hoey 27, F Dolan (0-1) for O’Neill h/t, P O’Connor for Kenny 44, J McKeague for Heneghan 48, S O’Neill for O’Connor 61.

Referee: J Bannon (Longford).