Massive occasion looms for young Roscommon footballers

A highly fancied Roscommon U21 team begin their quest for this year’s Cadbury’s Connacht U21 Football Championship when they travel to McHale Park, Castlebar this evening (Wednesday) to face Mayo in the Preliminary Round (7.30pm).

It’s widely perceived that the winners of this evening’s encounter will be subsequently installed as red-hot favourites to win this year’s U21 provincial championship.

Roscommon, managed by former senior county star Nigel Dineen, showed good form when winning the Hastings Cup earlier in the year, and with an admirable record at underage level in recent years, they will have high hopes of achieving major success this year.

However, they could be forced to field without John McManus - son of former county and Clann na nGael star Tony McManus - as the Roscommon Gaels player is rated as doubtful through injury. Clann’s Ultan Harney, one of the rising stars of the game in Roscommon, is also an injury concern having been restricted to a substitute role for St Aloysius College in the Connacht Colleges 'B’ semi-final against HRC Mountbellew last week. Harney played for the county at minor level last year and is widely regarded as a future county star of the future. St Brigid’s Niall McInerney is also likely to feature in the starting team, along with Padraig Pearses Ronan Daly.