Kevin McStay: Mayo are right to be concerned by Rossies

RTÉ's Kevin McStay during a broadcast prior to the Ulster SFC quarter-final between Donegal and Tyrone in Ballybofey. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

There are very few people better-placed to assess tomorrow’s Connacht SFC semi-final between Mayo and Roscommon than Kevin McStay.

An All-Star winner during his days as a Mayo forward in the 1980s, McStay managed the Rossies to an historic Connacht senior championship title in 2017.

He has also lived in Roscommon town for decades while his work as an RTÉ analyst again this year means he has his finger on the pulse when it comes to Championship 2020.

And yet he finds it hard to call a winner in tomorrow’s game at Dr Hyde Park, especially before he gets a look at who Anthony Cunningham and James Horan will line up for the national anthem.

“The teams are very well-matched and it could go to extra-time,” is his assessment. “Certainly, whoever wins it will have to earn it.”

Roscommon’s rain-soaked victory in the corresponding fixture last summer was the county’s first championship win over Mayo since the Connacht final of 2001.

That history and tradition of Mayo dominance in this fixture is one of the main reasons why James Horan’s charges have been installed as raging hot favourites to advance to a Connacht final meeting with Galway.

However, Kevin McStay doesn’t subscribe to that particular theory.

“There would certainly be a narrative and a sense that Mayo are never worried about Roscommon, and I suppose the results over the years back that up,” he told The Mayo News Football Podcast. “Even though last year’s result doesn’t.

I think Mayo are right to be concerned, on a couple of grounds.

“Firstly, if they lose, they’re out. Secondly, because Roscommon are now well down the road to their full development, they’re very settled.

"The Rossies are very comfortable in their own skin. They are very dangerous opponents for Mayo, because on their day, as they showed last year against Mayo and Galway, they’re a match for anyone. And they’re just hard to beat at the moment. They haven’t conceded a goal in the last six competitive fixtures.

“So with all that in the mix, they’re in with a great shot.”

Three years ago a Roscommon team managed by Kevin McStay took Mayo to the edge in a drawn All-Ireland quarter-final at Croke Park, but they were steamrolled in the replay by the pace, power and physicality of Lee Keegan, Aidan O’Shea and company.

McStay believes that strength and conditioning gap between the squads has narrowed in the meantime, while he also wonders about Mayo’s recent form line.

“The big issue going into the game is that we don’t know where Mayo are now,” he said.

“Is it the Galway performance? The Tyrone performance? Or the game against Leitrim?

“What’s the selection going to be? It’s a big moment.

Mayo are hardly picking a team to beat Roscommon. Surely they should be picking a team to win an All-Ireland, that would be my view.

“The goal now for Roscommon is to reach an All-Ireland semi-final,” he added.

“They’re playing in Division 1, they’ve won Connacht titles, so the All-Ireland semi-final is their goal. There’s no doubt Mayo are the favourites with the bookies, but they’re going to have to play a lot of good football to beat the Rossies.”