London boss Paul Coggins bites back at former Roscommon star Shane Curran

London manager Paul Coggins has called for fellow Roscommon native Shane Curran to retract his scathing remarks about the Exiles made on The Sunday Game.

Curran questioned the presence of London in the Connacht championship after their seven-point loss to Roscommon in Ruislip on Sunday.

“They’ll come once every 35 or 40 years with a team that can compete but the overall job of what they’re doing to the championship isn’t that good.

“Roscommon will be just delighted to get out of it with no injured players and to prepare for the game against Sligo in three weeks time.”

Curran added: “It’s hard to see what the worth in these games are to the Connacht championship or to Roscommon.”

Coggins said Curran’s comments were out of order and his London side were “not a ragbag team”.

“I’d be hugely disappointed in Shane Curran saying that on national television. In 2011, we didn’t concede a goal to Mayo and they reached the All-Ireland semi-finals. The following year, we lost to Leitrim by one point and didn’t concede a goal. The following year we beat Sligo by one point and we didn’t concede a goal. Yesterday (Sunday) we conceded one goal to Roscommon,” he said.

“We had a blip against Galway last year but it’s very disappointing stuff from Shane Curran. I would know Shane and have great respect for him as a goalkeeper but that sort of stuff is completely out of order. We work very hard here and the county board and players are trying their very best. I get backed 100% and we’ve a great backroom set-up.

“I don’t understand where he’s coming from. It really bamboozles me, to be honest. It would upset us, alright, that kind of talk.”

Coggins revealed Roscommon manager John Evans spoke highly of London in their dressing room afterwards.

“He praised them and it wasn’t a case of him just saying it. He’s a top class coach and to hear that from a man of his stature and ability was great.

“A lot of good people in Ireland know what we’re about.

“We’re doing the best we can and the people of Roscommon who were at the game would not agree with that statement Shane Curran made. It was good, tough game. Hopefully, he’ll look back on what he said and be man enough to retract it.”

Six years ago, Pat Spillane called for London to be cut from both National Football and Hurling Leagues before changing his mind a couple of years later.