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Preview: Allianz FL D1 - Dublin v Roscommon

Conor Devaney, Roscommon, and Paul Flynn, Dublin, collide during the 2016 Allianz Football League game between the teams at Pairc Sean MacDiarmada, Carrick on Shannon.

Conor Devaney, Roscommon, and Paul Flynn, Dublin, collide during the 2016 Allianz Football League game between the teams at Pairc Sean MacDiarmada, Carrick on Shannon.

Saturday March 25

Allianz Football League Division One

Dublin v Roscommon, Croke Park, 7pm, Live on eir Sport

Can Dublin stretch their unbeaten Allianz Football League and Championship run to 35 matches? Can Roscommon boost their slim survival hopes by taking the most prized scalp of them all?

Those two pressing questions will be answered at GAA headquarters on Saturday evening in a match that will be monitored with interest.

It has been a lively League campaign for Dublin, who had to strain every sinew to earn a point against a pumped up Kerry in Tralee last weekend.

That match demonstrated Dublin’s willingness to work as they refused to be perturbed late on when Kerry seemed to be closing in on a morale boosting victory.

Paul Mannion stayed cool under pressure to nail the leveller ensuring the spoils were divided. Amazingly it was Dublin’s third draw in five League encounters following stalemates with Tyrone and Donegal.

“They had a big breeze in the second half and they pulled four ahead,” Dublin manager Jim Gavin remarked. “With 72 minutes gone we were two down, but we’ve always stayed present in games and tried to get the scores.

“We played our traditional style of football and got the draw in the end.”

Gavin highlighted Dublin’s drive and desire in difficult circumstances. “That’s expected in a team game and this football team is more than the some of its parts - that has been its strength in previous games.”

A youthful Roscommon outfit were soundly beaten by Monaghan at Inniskeen last Sunday.

"We did expect more, but these moral victories of getting close but falling off are no good to us," McStay reflected following the Monaghan loss. "We so badly want to get two points before we leave this Division.

"The game against Cavan at the end of the campaign is going to be a very, very big game and obviously the next weekend against the Dubs will have its own hype."

Despite suffering a fifth straight defeat in the competition McStay believes that Roscommon’s youngsters are learning valuable lessons. "The two matches left, to the outsider might look like dead rubbers, but I can assure you they are not to us. We are going in to get as much out of the Division before we say goodbye to it.

"Morale is very good and we have a very good spirit. They are young and enthusiastic, and they are learning tough lessons in this difficult, difficult Division.”

Seventy minutes spent in the company of history chasing Dublin is a demanding environment in which to perform, but McStay will be hoping that Roscommon can test the standard bearers.

DUBLIN: Stephen Cluxton; Philly McMahon, Michael Fitzsimons, David Byrne; James McCarthy, Cian O'Sullivan, Eric Lowndes; Brian Fenton, Ciaran Reddin; Paul Flynn, Kevin McManamon, Niall Scully; Dean Rock, Paddy Andrews, Bernard Brogan.