Fergal O’Donnell targets one more win for high-flying Roscommon

Roscommon 1-12 Down 0-6: Three wins earned outside of the county boundaries have Roscommon riding high in Division 1 of the Allianz Football League, but manager Fergal O’Donnell is refusing to proclaim their 2017 top flight status just yet.

Officially this was a home game for Roscommon, but the backdrop of Pearse Park in Longford made for strange surroundings for the Connacht side. With Dr Hyde Park out of commission due to the pitch being unplayable, and Kiltoom deemed unsuitable to accommodate the expected crowd by the GAA, the Roscommon camp was packed up and moved 20 miles up the road. But it was another convincing performance from the team in primrose and blue that earned their third win on the bounce.

Ciaran Murtagh ran the show from his centre-forward berth and his late penalty put the hat on a deserved win for the Rossies. He was flanked by Fintan Cregg, who was energetic and accurate throughout, while the roving Cathal Cregg made a similar impact and Down struggled to combat his influence throughout the afternoon.