Preview: Connacht SFC - Roscommon v Leitrim
Roscommon forward Diarmuid Murtagh in action against Leitrim in the 2016 Connacht SFC.
Sunday June 18
Connacht SFC Semi-Final
Roscommon v Leitrim, Dr Hyde Park, 3.30pm
What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago following an encouraging Allianz Football League campaign Roscommon carried great expectations into the Connacht Championship.
Roscommon just about survived tricky assignments against New York and Sligo either side of an emphatic win over Leitrim, before losing a provincial Final replay to Galway.
Then a Round 4 Qualifier loss to Clare ended a disappointing summer. All of Roscommon's promise didn't matter in the Championship, but they are quietly confident about making an impact in 2017.
Relegation was suffered from Division One of the Allianz Football League, but Kevin McStay is optimistic.
Three debutants have been named - goalkeeper Colm Lavin, Tadhg O'Rourke, and Brian Stack - in a team that features a sharp forward line. Donie Smith and the Murtagh brothers, Ciarain and Diarmuid, are crafty attackers.
At centrefied Enda Smith is a highly effective performer, who has shown his class on the Sigerson stage with DCU.
McStay is treating the Leitrim challenge with the utmost respect.
“How could we possibly look beyond this game after the League we've had? We have to win this game. There's no life for us beyond Leitrim.
“You can't recover from a Connacht Semi-Final defeat when you're at home in a game you're favourites to win.
"We have to handle that expectation but I've no doubt that we will handle it. We'd be very hopeful about giving a really good account of ourselves.”
Leitrim manager Brendan Guckian is investing heavily in youth and they cleared the London hurdle at McGovern Park, Ruislip last month.
London, inspired by captain Liam Gavaghan, led in the second half, but Leitrim finished strongly following the introduction of Ronan Kennedy, who bagged two opportunistic goals.
A cruciate knee ligament injury deprives Leitrim of talisman Emlyn Mulligan which is an unfortunate blow.
Donal Wrynn and Shane Moran occupy central roles for Leitrim, who haven't reached a Connacht showpiece since 2000.
Roscommon have won the last six Championship meetings against Leitrim, who will be striving to cause a shock at the Hyde this weekend.
**ROSCOMMON: **Colm Lavin; David Murray, John McManus, Niall McInerney; Seanie McDermott, Sean Mullooly, Conor Devaney; Tadhg O'Rourke, Enda Smith; Fintan Cregg, Niall Kilroy, Brian Stack; Ciarain Murtagh, Diarmuid Murtagh, Donie Smith.
LEITRIM: Brendan Flynn; Michael McWeeney, Ronan Gallagher, Paddy Maguire; James Rooney, Donal Wrynn, Oisin Madden; Shane Moran, Damien Moran; Brendan Gallagher, Dean McGovern, Ryan O’Rourke; Keith Beirne, Conor Gaffney, Darragh Rooney.