Roscommon bid to make a little bit of history

CONNACHT U21 FC FINAL:

ast year’s minor success was the first time Roscommon won successive underage provincial crowns and Nigel Dineen’s men now have a chance to do that at U21 level.

This is the fourth year in a row Roscommon have reached the decider, Galway defeating them 1-10 to 0-4 two years ago. A year earlier Roscommon beat Sligo 1-6 to 0-4 and repeated that success a year ago when they defeated the Yeats County 1-13 to 0-8.

Roscommon have received a big boost with senior player Colin Compton being passed fit for the decider.

Compton, who has impressed for John Evans’ Roscommon seniors this season, was a major doubt because of an ankle injury picked up in the opening half of the semi-final win over Leitrim.

However, manager Dineen was delighted to confirm the Strokestown flyer will be available to lead the line this evening after returning to training this week.

“Colin picked up the injury in the first-half against Leitrim and had to come off. The first fear was that it was worse than it was. But he has come back, has trained well and we are quite confided for Colin to play on Saturday. I spoke top him on Wednesday evening and he is totally happy about it,” said Dineen, who has 11 of the squad which lost last year’s All-Ireland U-21 final to Dublin.

The return of their two-goal hero from the semi-final win is a massive fillip for the champions, but Dineen believes that the days of Roscommon teams having an inferiority complex ahead of playing Galway and Mayo are gone.

“Any time you play Galway or Mayo at underage it will be tough, but Roscommon has done well in recent years at minor and U21. These guys have played in Connacht championship matches and have been very successful.

“We have a conveyor belt of talent coming through the last few years since 2006,” he said.

Galway, who have a doubt over centre-back Daithi Burke, are bidding for their 18th crown and manager Alan Flynn believes they have a good chance even though 17 of the squad are underage again next season. “We have two championship games under our belt this year and we hope that will stand to us,” said Flynn, who is joined on the management team by former Galway All-Ireland winners Declan Meehan and Paul Clancy.

GALWAY: T Healy; L Silke, J Shaughnessy, E Walsh; M Loughnane, D Burke, P Varley; F Ó Curraoin, D Comer; C Mulryan, S Moran, S Maughan; S Walsh, A Varley, I Burke.

ROSCOMMON: T Lowe; D Murray, R Timothy, C Cafferky; M Connaughton, J McManus, C Daly; F Kelly, T Corcoran; S Killoran, C Connolly, F Cregg; D Smith, C Compton, C Murtagh.