Leitrim V Roscommon.. Connacht S/F..Pairc Sean MacDiarmada..12/06/2011.

Leitrim face an almighty task on Sunday against the 2010 Connacht champions Roscommon. Many will say that the home venue will be worth a couple of points, but it must be borne in mind that we haven't beaten the Sheepstealers in Carrick in the championship since 1927.
The feeling on the ground here is that Moran will go with the same starting 15 as in the Sligo match, but doubtless he's waiting on a fitness report on John McKeon. Should John Mac be fit, I'd like to see him start at 6, which would probably see Wayne McKeon moved to th h/f line to the exclusion of Brennan.
I would foresee Gary Reynolds then picking up Cregg, with the previously maligned Barry Prior on the other wing.

The biggest Roscommon threats will come from Finneran at midfield, Cregg at wing forward and Kilbride and Shine in the inside line. Their back line aren't world beaters and should we be cute enough to retain possession and build constructively, then we have the scoring power in the front 3 (Croal, Beirne and Glancy) to do damage.

An uphill battle, Powers Towers have us at 11/4, so we're not fancied. But again, it's not the dog in the fight, it's the fight in the dog...

Mulligan to put shoeShine boy back in his box here. Leitrim win

Going against the GT grain here ... but C'mon the Rossies!

Treachery.....RMD, sort this knave out...

Team same as last day.

Not surprised. Slight worry as mentioned by boxty as to who will take up cregg. Moran should be looking to move Mckeon to half forward and Brennan to half back where he currently plays for club and is most effective.

Was at the challenge game vs Donegal. J McK was immense. One thing for sure is the lads will be on their toes knowing he can come on.

Boxty it is your profile pics birthday today. Hopefully we'll see him in Pairc Sean sunday.

The ould lad is in lough derg til thursday too. ...Leitrim abú..

The Sheepstealers are going with the same as started in Gaelic Park....

1 Geoffrey Claffey (Castlerea - St. Kevins)

2 Seán McDermott (Western Gaels)
3 Peter Domican (Capt) (St. Brigids)
4 Niall Carty (Padraig Pearses)

5 Ian Kilbride (St. Brigids)
6 David Keenan (St. Barrys)
7 Donal Ward (Western Gaels)

8 Michael Finneran (St. Dominics)
9 Karol Mannion (St. Brigids)

10 Senan O'Grady (St. Faithleachs)
11 Kevin Higgins (Western Gaels)
12 Cathal Cregg (Western Gaels)

13 Conor Devanney (Kilbride)
14 Senan Kilbride (St. Brigids)
15 Donie Shine (Clann na nGael)

Their backs don't inspire me tbh, as I said previously the big threats are 8, 12, 14 and 15.....nothing to fear in the rest....
The "talismatic" Barry Prior will have lots of it to do with Cregg.....



"You can do it Barry".....

As it gurgles out from deep underground on the Cuilcagh Mountains, the Shannon River has no idea of the effect it has on life in Ireland. It is written of in song and story, it drains and floods in turn, it is the powerhouse for hundreds of boats and cruisers, it entertains many a hopeful angler, its route is mapped on countless brochures, it has attracted thousands of visitors to its banks and it has been photographed and painted for generations. Like the river itself, its story could go on and on.

But all of this pales into insignificance compared to the effect it has on what colour of jersey we will be wearing on our way to Páirc Seán on Sunday June 12th. Will we be decked out in green and gold or will we be sporting the primrose and blue?

It depends on which side of the Shannon we first saw light of day. Was it in Cootehall or Leitrim Village, Cortober or Bridge Street, Mahanagh or Mount Allen, Bornacoola or across the bridge in Rooskey, Drumsna or Kilmore; you could throw a stone from one into the other, but there is a very distinct dotted line somewhere on a map that makes all the difference. We're either Leitrim or Roscommon and no one will ever change that.


The Shannon shouldn't have to take all the blame, for the border in places is just a laneway or a gripe. Sean and Charlie Flynn could run out their front door at Cartron Beg on the Drumkeerin road and jump into Roscommon, but two more committed Leitrim supporters you couldn't find. When the Connacht Champions of 1994 toured the county with the Nestor Cup, hadn't the Flynns the biggest bonfire in Leitrim burning especially brightly just to tease the Roscommon neighbours!

There will be lots of cross-border teasing in the run up to the big game in Carrick.

Wait till we get ye' in Carrick - Look what we did to Sligo.

What did we do to Sligo last year? Ye' haven't a hope!

So the banter will go on at the mart, in the pubs, in the Observer, on Shannonside, everywhere. A sort of civil war will break out in families that inter-married across the great divide, in some gardens both flags will fly side by side.

There will be plenty of hype and great expectation. Roscommon will repeat and repeat how they always fear coming to Páirc Seán, but deep down they will presume they will win again, noting that records show they have always left with a victory; Leitrim will say its time to draw a line in the sand - no point in putting up a good show but being on the wrong end of the scoreboard.

Roscommon will be buoyed by the thoughts of the St. Brigid's backbone in their team, but James Glancy will be reminding Leitrim that the Glencar Manorhamilton contingent provides one equally strong, as the Connacht Club Championship game showed last Autumn man for man the fifteen on each side have very little between them, so it all to play for.

Páirc Seán will be a mass of colour as Dessie Foley steers the Kiltubrid Pipe Band around the pitch in the pre-match parade, past the Lurganboys on Tour banner behind the lower goals, in those tense moments before Amhrán na bhFiann and the throw-in. We will even have colour television!

But whose cheeks will be the rosiest with pride at about half three on Sunday 12th, as they head home to gloat at their neighbours a few yards away on the other bank of the Shannon?

C'mon the Land of My Fathers .... eh, singular!

Very poor form here if the entire forum doesn't get behind the men in Green and Gold in the Tipster comp at the weekend....

This is our biggest day since Charlie Redmond took 12 steps to bury one past Martin Mac in '94....(Winners certs for a Connacht title)

This team carries no baggage, are big (enough) young, skillful and very, very fit. Although I despise "possession football" this is the key to it...

The Kiltubrid Pipe Band, RTE, and Pat McEneaney "ar an feadóg"....The phrase "Die dog or sh1te out the license" comes to mind.

Word spreading of some Donegal-esque escapades by a few Leitrim players after the Sligo game.. All may not be rosy in camp..

Jonsmith wrote:Word spreading of some Donegal-esque escapades by a few Leitrim players after the Sligo game.. All may not be rosy in camp..

Hi-jinx....... The rumour factory in full swing.

Senan Kilbride OUT for the Sheepstealers. Potential threats down to 3......A timely opportunity to fill your boots.

Boxtyeater wrote:

Jonsmith wrote:Word spreading of some Donegal-esque escapades by a few Leitrim players after the Sligo game.. All may not be rosy in camp..

Hi-jinx....... The rumour factory in full swing.

Senan Kilbride OUT for the Sheepstealers. Potential threats down to 3......A timely opportunity to fill your boots.

No rumour Boxty.. From the horses mouth!! The storm has settled well by now but it may have done damage to morale..

Cavan Leitrim double?

Jonsmith wrote:No rumour Boxty.. From the horses mouth!! The storm has settled well by now but it may have done damage to morale..

Cavan Leitrim double?

Get on to OMAR and find out if them CFD yokes are still available to enable us fund this punt....

In other news, Boxty was in Mohill town around dinner time ( 1sh. around here) and who did he meet but the legendary Packy McGarty. Hard to believe that the great man is in his 80's, but he was down for a months mind and is around till Sunday....
Difficult for some of you to understand, but it was akin to Moneygall and Obama, such is the reverence the great man is held in, as aul' lads braved the torrents of traffic to cross the street to touch the hem of his garments. The bould Packy was in top form, switching from studious to banterous as the occasion demanded.

Oh! he's bullish about our prospects as well......

Most enjoyable thread I've read around these parts for a looooong time. Super posts Boxty - they nearly put you there! Keep her lit! I'm still up for Ros tho!

............

A riot of colour straddles the route the legend Barry Prior will traverse tomorrow to face the old enemy. The road from Ballinamore to Fenagh and onwards to Keshcarrigan and doubtless all the way to Pairc Seán is festooned in swathes of green and gold.
Boxty had a disturbing sight however of the primrose and blue squinting out of a garden on the approach to Greagh Cross, but put it down to the fact that the resident therein couldn't get a woman locally and must have crossed the river to accelerate the breeding process.
Rain of biblical proportions is promised, which will not help either side, but them's the breaks....

A mighty ask but days like these make you glad to be alive....

Cheers jayo

Anyway O'Donnell to do a bit of tinkering tomorrow. Ormsby to corner, ian Kilbride not playing. Captain Domican moving from full back to centre back and seemingly finneran isn't fit and enda kenny will start midfield.

Kenny is a powerhouse of a man and himself and mossy would be a titanic struggle. Whoever hits the iceberg could be heading for the qualifiers.

C'mon Leitrim.

While I wish the best to JB and Boxty I am confident of a Rossie win today! Sorry lads but enjoy the day!

Not really feeling it myself.

But C'mon Leitrim

I have lumped on the 3/1 available for a Leitrim win.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:I have lumped on the 3/1 available for a Leitrim win.

Leitrim's record against Roscommon in Carrick is quite poor I am led to believe

The Puke wrote:

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:I have lumped on the 3/1 available for a Leitrim win.

Leitrim's record against Roscommon in Carrick is quite poor I am led to believe

New day, new game. Records are there to be ended.

Whats up with the camera angle?

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:

The Puke wrote:

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:I have lumped on the 3/1 available for a Leitrim win.

Leitrim's record against Roscommon in Carrick is quite poor I am led to believe

New day, new game. Records are there to be ended.

Connaught Champion's against Division 4 also rans when the also rans have a terrible record against them in Carrick is a no brainer as to who will win....Roscommon have far too much class for a workmanlike leitrim outfit

Leitrim lads shooting for goal from 50 metres out

Jesus wept, you would feel sorry for an honest man like Mickey Moran

Kilbride is a lovely footballer

Leitrim have thrown in the towel very early here