Rossies make one change for Kildare clash
The Roscommon team for Sunday's All-Ireland SFC Group 3 third round clash with Kildare has been named.
Donie Smith returns to the Roscommon team in place of Ciaran Lennon, in the only change to the side that defeated Sligo last time out (see team list below).
Sunday's game at Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore (throw-in 1.45pm) will be televised live on RTE 2.
It will be only the third championship meeting between Roscommon and Kildare. The Lilywhites won a qualifier match by three points in 2007, while Roscommon won a qualifier by two points after extra-time in 2003, when Frankie Dolan scored 13 points for Roscommon, including five from play.
Ciaráin Murtagh is Roscommon's top scorer in this year's championship so far with 1-13 (0-6 frees), followed by his brother Diarmuid (0-15, 10 frees), Enda Smith (1-7, 1-0 penalty) and Cian McKeon (0-5).
For Kildare, Paddy Woodgate (1-11, 0-7 frees, 0-2 ‘45s’), Darragh Kirwan (0-8), Ben McCormack (0-7), Jack Robinson (0-7, 5 frees) and Neil Flynn (0-7, 2 frees, 0-1 ‘45’) lead the way in the scoring stakes.
On the Group 3 table, Roscommon and Dublin are both on three points each after two matches, while Kildare and Sligo are on one point each.
Roscommon currently top the table by a single point of scoring difference above Dublin. If they beat Kildare and Dublin beat Sligo (Kingspan Breffni Park, 1.45), then the home quarter-final will go to the team with the best scoring difference.
In the simplest terms, Dublin need to beat Sligo by two points more than Roscommon beat Kildare to overtake the Rossies at the top of the table. Beating Sligo by one point more than Roscommon beat Kildare might also suffice if they manage to overcome the slightly inferior scores for total (they’re two behind Roscommon) along the way.
In a scenario where Dublin beat Sligo and Roscommon beat Kildare, then scoring difference will also decide who of Sligo and Kildare have an away preliminary quarter-final and who is eliminated from the championship.
Currently Kildare (-9) sit above Sligo (-10) on scoring difference in the table, but the margin couldn’t be finer. Sligo can claim the third qualifying place if they lose to Dublin by one point less than Kildare lose to Roscommon as they have scored one more point than the Lilywhites, so would finish above them in the eventuality of both teams finishing with the same scoring difference.
So, put simply, if both Kildare and Sligo lose this weekend, whichever team loses by more is out of the championship and the other team has an away preliminary quarter-final.
If Dublin beat Sligo and Kildare beat Roscommon, then Dublin top the table, Kildare finish second above Roscommon on the head-to-head rule and have a home preliminary quarter-final. In that scenario, Roscommon would finish third and have an away preliminary quarter-final, and Sligo would be out of the championship.
Roscommon (All-Ireland SFC v Kildare): Conor Carroll; Colin Walsh, Brian Stack (captain), David Murray; Niall Daly, Eoin McCormack, Conor Daly; Dylan Ruane, Eddie Nolan; Ciaráin Murtagh, Enda Smith, Donie Smith; Cian McKeon, Ben O'Carroll, Diarmuid Murtagh.
Subs: Aaron Brady, Ruaidhrí Fallon, Conor Hussey, Niall Kilroy, Ciaran Lennon, Cian Connolly, Conor Cox, Shane Cunnane, Daire Cregg, Richard Hughes, Paul Carey.