FOLLOWING A SAPPING game against Mayo in Ballybofey and a fiery clash with Kerry in Tralee, Donegal could be forgiven for hoping that the temperature is turned down a notch this weekend.
But Roscommon arrive in Letterkenny keen to show again that they belong at the top table.
Kevin McStay and Fergal O’Donnell’s team have hardly had time to put their napkins on their laps yet, but they’ve already had wins over Kerry, Cork and Down.
That sequence of results, after an opening day defeat at the hands of Monaghan, mean they come to O’Donnell Park with a spring in their step.
Donegal spent much of this week under the microscope following the 1-13 to 1-8 loss in Kerry and the incidents therein.
A meeting with Roscommon is perhaps a welcomed game for Rory Gallagher and company, even though the Connacht outfit will provide a stern examination for the hosts.
“They’re a squad on the up,” Gallagher says of Roscommon.
“They tick a lot of boxes. They’re a squad and a team that is definitely on the up and on the rise.
“They’ve had successive promotions now and they’ve been in two All-Ireland Under-21 finals. They have a fresh management team and are almost assured of survival.
“They’ve laid a good marker down early doors and aren’t fazed by the challenge of being in Division 1. The football they play is very refreshing; they like to get int inside and the likes of Senan Kilbride, Cathal Cregg, Ciaran Murtagh and Diarmuid Murtagh are top players.”
Against Kerry, Donegal did well to battle back to 0-7 apiece early in the second half, only for a Peter Crowley goal to knock the wind from their sails and Michael Murphy’s goal at the other end didn’t keep the ship on course.
“When we were out walking about beforehand, we felt the breeze was a six-point lead,” Gallagher says.
“The breeze was so considerable. We hung in well in first half, but we gave away too many frees.
“To come out and close the lead down and then not push on was very disappointing.
“We switched off for the goal and we got bogged down in what was going on a wee bit too much.
“That said, we have great time for Kerry. That game is over now and we’ve moved on. These things sometimes happen when you’re playing in high profile games.”
Donegal’s last competitive joust with Roscommon was in an All-Ireland qualifier in 2008 when Michael Murphy scored 2-2 and Stephen Griffin bagged a goal as Donegal won 3-11 to 1-9 in Ballybofey.
Murphy, Karl Lacey, Neil Gallagher, Rory Kavanagh and Christy Toye can expect to be involved at some stage again this Sunday for Donegal while Seanie McDermott, Cathal Cregg, Senan Kilbride and Conor Devaney have survived from the Roscommon side that played that afternoon.
The only other meeting of these teams recently was a challenge game in December 2013, with Donegal winning 2-13 to 0-10 in Convoy.
“It’s fresh territory for most of the players,” Gallagher says. “That’s a good thing in a way. These teams haven’t met each other and it’s always nice to come up against new challenges and new teams like this.”
O’Donnell Park is a venue at which Donegal have won just twice in 12 attempts since senior inter-county football returned there in 2007, but they’re looking to tip the scales a little more to the positive end this weekend.
Gallagher says: “There is always a cracking atmosphere in Letterkenny.
“We didn’t deliver there last year, but we’re really looking forward to this weekend. We haven’t had the best of results, but it’s a venue the boys love playing at and we train there quite regularly.
“Hopefully we can rectify that record a bit this weekend.”
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