Rebels will relish Rossies draw, admits Hoare

THE theme emanating from Cork after Sunday’s All-Ireland quarter-final has been predictably respectful but Roscommon selector Declan Hoare came out yesterday and echoed the sentiments of the gaelic football world.

“Let’s face it, it is the team everybody wanted against the team nobody wanted,” he said of the lottery that paired the surprise Connacht champions with the side commonly regarded as the booby prize for the four provincial kingpins.

Next Sunday will be Roscommon’s first championship outing at HQ since losing to Dublin by four points in a 2004 round four qualifier and their first of any description since beating Cavan there in a Division Two league semi-final three years ago. That was the same year Connacht claimed the Nestor Cup before being dumped out of the All-Ireland at the last eight stage by Cork and on the back of a hugely disappointing performance.