THE COMMON DENOMINATOR
Mcstay: Fear is not even on our lips.. just like last year!
KEVIN MCSTAY insists it’s in the genes for Roscommon not to fear Galway ahead of the latest provincial final between the two.
The Connacht rivals have contested the last two deciders and, after Galway prevailed in 2016, Roscommon romped to a nine-point triumph last summer.
But both were gone at the Allireland quarter-final stage and it’s something Mcstay (right) wants to address this year with a minimum target of reaching the new Super 8s.
“I would’ve said before the Galway-mayo match that they were playing to see who was the second best team in the country,” said Mcstay.
“Galway won that, they were in the Division One final so they have to command our respect.
“We would respect them – but I don’t think any of us would fear them. It’s in Roscommon’s DNA never to be too hung up about the Galway challenge.
“That’s not to say Roscommon beat Galway regularly – but they’re well able to have their moments against them.
“We’re the Division Two champions, we played reasonably in it. We’re in the [Connacht] final again, we played reasonably to get there.
“It’s very similar to last year in that the national narrative is that we’re a considerable distance behind Galway.
“I’m not going to argue with it. We were not even in Division 1 - but we will have no fear of it.
“That nexus has been reached where we think we’re a coming team, Galway think they’re a coming team and Mayo aren’t sure where they are right now, so there is a big prize. Whoever comes away with the title this year is likely to have a big say for the next few years.
“We have the age profile, the ability to be part of that argument.
“Last year we got a little step on Galway. But we never kicked on like Galway kicked on – so there’s a lot up for grabs in this final.” It still rankles with Mcstay that his native Mayo ran away with the All-ireland quarter-final replay, given his side were so close to winning the drawn game.
But his main focus is on this year and victory on Sunday would guarantee at least three more high-profile games. Not to be in the Super 8’s would hurt this group because if it’s not us, it’s going to be Galway, Mayo, Tyrone – or some other team we’d like to think that we could compete with in the future – going to get three All-ireland quarter-finals that we won’t get.
“But if you go back this time 12 months ago we were fighting for our reputations as management and players and therefore winning Connacht was a monstrous prize for us.
“This year is about moving on, building on what we did.
“Some people tend to undervalue Connacht medals but we certainly don’t. For us to get a pair of them in a row would be unreal – and would launch us brilliantly for the campaign.
“We’re not going around here saying we’re going to win the All-ireland.
“We know who the top four or five teams are – but we also know that one result changes an awful lot.”