Mark Doran urges Roscommon to ‘go after' Cork showdown as Meath draw keeps All-Ireland hopes alive
ROSCOMMON selector Mark Doran encouraged his team's players to go after their do-or-die clash with Cork with 'everything they have' after their stalemate against Meath on Saturday.
The
2
Roscommon selector Mark Doran has urged the team to kick on in the clash against Cork
2
Roscommon and Meath played out a thrilling draw at Dr hyde Park
But with the wind at their backs and Enda Smith's return to form, they kicked five second-half two-pointers to
Their final day opponents Cork have none but will be looking to leapfrog the Rossies on neutral ground to snatch an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final place.
Doran said after the
'We asked them to go out and turn up, go and play for your jersey, go and play for your family, go and play for your clubs.
read more on football
"They did that and I'm delighted with them because I know the work they've put in.
'Hopefully we'll have more games after it but we're going to have to go after the Cork game with everything we have.
'We'll review, knuckle down and prepare for Cork. But there are no more safety nets.'
James Conlon hit 0-6 as Meath continued to put their recent Leinster final disappointment against Louth behind them by moving on to three points and ensuring knockout football ahead of their meeting with Kerry.
Most read in GAA Football
Manager Robbie Brennan was satisfied that his team showed character in not letting the game get away from them after shipping the two early goals.
He said: 'Any day you concede two goals and come out with a draw, you probably just have to accept that.'
Tipperary GAA star 'had to do live apology on RTE' the day after cursing during All-Ireland interview -
ROSCOMMON 2-15
MEATH 0-21
SCORERS — Roscommon: D Murtagh 1-4, E Smith 0-6, 3tp; B O'Carroll 1-0; D Cregg 0-2; S Lambe 0-1; D Ruane 0-1, C Murtagh 0-1f. Meath: J Conlon 0-6, 1tp; R Kinsella 0-3; B Hogan 0-2, 1tpf, B Menton 0-2, 1tp, C Duke 0-2, 1tp; J Morris 0-2, E Frayne 0-2; S Coffey 0-1, M Costello
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
42 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Denise O'Sullivan: Wales loss still hurts but it will stand to us with World Cup push
Initially Denise O'Sullivan admitted the pain from the Republic of Ireland's failure to qualify for this summer's Women's European Championship means she will be doing everything she can to avoid watching it. But quickly, upon a brief reflection, the Cork native would backtrack on that statement to insist she will tune in but only to support her North Carolina Courage teammates that will be involved in the tournament in Switzerland when it kicks off on July 2. Ireland had the chance to be there themselves and make history by qualifying for back-to-back major tournaments in the process, but a 2-1 loss to Wales at the Aviva Stadium in their playoff second leg last December dashed those dreams. 'I think I'll be switching the TV off, doing everything I can not to watch it, but I have teammates from Courage playing in it. 'I know I'm saying I'll be switching the TV off, but I'll watch to cheer them on. It's still devastating not to be there, for sure,' said the Cork native, speaking after Ireland's 1-0 win over Slovenia at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday night. And while it was nice for O'Sullivan to again taste victory in front of her home crowd, and the 40 or so family members in attendance, it wasn't the 4-0 victory they needed to leapfrog their opponents and secure automatic promotion to League A in the UEFA Women's Nations League. The Girls in Green (who are 26th in the FIFA world rankings) are now destined for the playoffs yet again where they will meet either Austria (ranked 18th), Iceland (13th), Belgium (20th) or Denmark (12th) with the draw taking place on Friday. 'It's another chance in October and we'll find out on Friday. We'll be ready for that. At least having another chance is a positive,' continued O'Sullivan, who also discussed the impact made by Carla Ward since she took over for Eileen Gleeson before the start of this Nations League campaign. 'We have experience under our belt. I've heard the team names, all high level so we'll have to be ready for that but it's another chance for us. Denise O'Sullivan in action against Kaja Korošec of Slovenia. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile 'We want to be at that World Cup in Brazil (in 2027). That defeat against Wales from last year can stand to us going into the playoff. 'We've learnt a lot, it still hurts a lot because the pain hasn't gone from that game. There's definitely been a lot of change (under Ward). It took a long time to find our feet and way. 'We didn't start well in any game but came out with wins which shows the team's character. I still think we're still trying to get used to the way Carla and the staff want us to play but five wins out of six is positive. 'It will definitely take time. The way Carla and staff are implementing her style of play, it doesn't happen overnight. You can see even in the first half how we created a number of chances. As a team we want to keep doing that and get better. "Losing Louise, Fahey, Diane and Julie-Ann, so many at the same time, is really tough on the team so I think Katie, Courtney, myself and a few others must take the responsibility of driving the team on.' Rather than competing at the Euros, next up for Ireland is a glamourous friendly double-header against an extremely talented USA side (ranked number one in the world) in Colorado and Cincinnati on June 27 (Irish time) and 29 respectively. And while Carla Ward has announced that captain Katie McCabe will not be making the trip for fear of 'burnout' following her Champions League winning excursions with Arsenal recently, O'Sullivan confirmed she will be involved. And for once, she won't face an arduous journey to represent her country. 'It's my one week in the whole year I get off from Courage but that's okay. I'm happy to play because any chance I get playing for my country I want to be there. I'll be there. 'I'm excited. For once, I don't have to travel 20 hours. I won't have jet lag, but the rest will. 'I'm looking forward to it. USA are a top, top team and we can go out to challenge ourselves. 'It will be a brilliant experience,' concluded O'Sullivan.
Irish Independent
4 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Lee Costello: How one major difference has taken Armagh from All-Ireland contenders to title favourites
Before a ball was kicked in 2025, I confidently stated that Donegal would win the All-Ireland, which is an outrageous statement to make when you really think about it.
The 42
4 hours ago
- The 42
Galway still leaning on the same few warriors as Micheál Donoghue searches for consistency
BACK IN 2016, when Micheál Donoghue undertook his first tour of duty as Galway manager, the jigsaw pieces were already on the table. The team had come off a second All-Ireland final defeat in four years. Still, the players saw room for improvement, judging by the acrimonious vote of no confidence which put paid to Anthony Cunningham's tenure. They had come close to the mountain top and were now launching a mutiny to climb even higher. For their first league outing, an impressive six-point win over Cork, Donoghue sent out a team featuring a dozen of those beaten finalists of the previous September. Eleven who played that day would feature a year and a half later when Donoghue led Galway to the promised land. This time around, Donoghue returned to the hot seat with seven debutants and a 12-point defeat to Tipperary. What Donoghue witnessed fell far short of the minimum requirements for work rate, which the Clarinbridge native has emphasised at every opportunity across the subsequent four months. Only five of the starting team survived to face Kilkenny the following week. None of the 10 excluded have regained their places in his preferred championship team. However, that game could neither be counted as a turning point nor has progression been linear since then. That 12-point margin of defeat has recurred three more times; against Limerick, Cork, and Kilkenny in consecutive road trips across March and April. In that time, Donoghue has trialled a whopping 57 players, giving game time to 40. The experimentation has continued into championship, particularly in their attack. He called on 29 players in the Leinster round-robin. Galway's defeat to Kilkenny prompted a rethink. Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO Compared to their position of strength back in 2017, when they pocketed Liam MacCarthy and the first of four consecutive All-Ireland minor titles in one memorable afternoon, their squad looks callow. Six of those All-Ireland winners remain ever-present cogs. But those minor teams have been slow to produce senior dividends. The first of those champion sides developed the likes of Darach Fahy, Darren Morrissey, Cianan Fahy, Ronan Glennon, and recent debutant Colm Molloy. Of the 2018 victors, however, only Dónal O'Shea has featured at any stage for the Tribesmen this term. Even the transition to U20 hasn't quite worked. They haven't won an All-Ireland at that grade since 2011, and were beaten by double-digits in both finals they've reached in the meantime. Perhaps the defining characteristic of Donoghue's 2017 champions was the combination of size, power, and ball-winning ability, plus the sharp scoring touch, of their forwards. An attack built around Joseph Cooney, Joe Canning, Johnny Glynn, Conor Whelan, Conor Cooney, and Cathal Mannion was an imposing mix for any opponent. Advertisement Currently, Galway have a rotating cast of inside snipers. Declan McLoughlin bagged 2-2 against Kilkenny in the league as a late call-up. The next day, Anthony Burns stepped forward with 2-3 against Clare on his first start. That same evening, Evan Niland nailed 0-9 from 10 shots. Against Offaly, Molloy was a late change for his first start and raised 0-5 from play. They have each been in and out of the team as Donoghue seeks the right mix of grafters and scorers. Making the ball stick is the first imperative. Then, the score-taking comes in. Whelan and Mannion remain the heartbeat of their forward line as the players who best perform both roles. Similarly, Pádraic Mannion and Daithí Burke have filled in as the full-back-line anchors, while David Burke has provided the midfield shield. They still need those warriors to compensate for inexperience elsewhere. Conor Whelan signs autographs after the victory over Dublin. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO Donoghue pointed to players 'learning the trade' after Dublin pilfered a couple of late goals to take the gloss off an eye-catching result at Parnell Park. Transition and evolution remain part of the vocabulary at this early stage. 'We're still only a short time here and everything is still evolving for us,' he added. 'We're still trying to get the magic number, if you like, of lads in their best positions.' All along, there has been hit-and-miss progress. Where they lost four games by 12 points, they have now taken care of business in the last four by an average margin of 14 points per victory. Where Mannion accounted for 49% of their scoring total in the first three championship games, they managed to construct an appropriate haul in his absence against Antrim and suitably diversified responsibility against Dublin. Where they didn't reach the 30-point barrier in their first seven games, they have broken it in three and clocked 0-29 in their fourth match since then. The goal-scoring balance remains an issue. They have only kept one clean sheet in 11 games this year. At the other end, they have been shut out four times themselves; even if Donoghue's side didn't need goals back in '17 either. They will be tested at both ends by Kilkenny in the Leinster final. There remains a significant distance to travel before Galway could be classed as Liam MacCarthy contenders. But should they smuggle the Bob O'Keeffe Cup back across the Shannon after six years characterised by near misses and flops, their prize would be an All-Ireland semi-final. One that avoids the Munster champions too. From there, a return to the biggest stage wouldn't look so far. They have cast off one hex by beating Dublin, and with that, accomplished a significant marker of progress from the early elimination that ended Henry Shefflin's reign. Donoghue, as the Dubs' head honcho, was responsible for that downfall. His return has reinstituted the minimum acceptable levels of performance for this new-look group. Consistency is the next marker. Then, a Leinster title. Then, we would get a better sense of what's achievable in the rest of Donoghue's four-year term.
