THE EIRGRID CONNACHT U21 football championship reaches its climax when defending champions Roscommon face Mayo on Saturday.
Football in Roscommon is riding the crest of a wave at the moment, as the senior side look set to make the Division 1 semi-finals. The Rossies U21s are chasing their first ever Connacht three-in-a-row but the old enemy Mayo stand in their way.
We take a closer look at six players who are likely to have a big say in the western decider.
1. Stephen Coen (Mayo)
Stephen Coen’s football CV ticks all the right boxes for a future inter-county star.
A run to Croke Park with his club, check. Coen’s side Hollymount-Carramore won the Mayo and Connacht intermediate titles before making it all the way to the All-Ireland final where they lost to St. Mary’s of Kerry.
A former minor star, check. Coen captained Mayo to the All-Ireland minor crown in 2013.
A Sigerson Cup champion, check. Coen came off the bench in UCD’s win over DCU in the final.
He made several appearances in defence for the Mayo seniors this spring, having cut his footballing teeth with the squad last year.
Coen’s presence around the middle third will be a vital one.
2. Ultan Harney (Roscommon)
Harney is among the new breed of footballers emerging in Roscommon.
He helped deliver Clann na nGael’s first county championship in 19 years last Autumn, before starring in DCU’s run to the Sigerson Cup final.
A hamstring injury prevented his participation in the showpiece event and Harney made his return at centre-back in Roscommon U21′s semi-final win over Sligo.
Harney will have a big say on the outcome of this game.
3. Diarmuid O’Connor (Mayo)
The 2015 Young Footballer of the Year needs no introduction.
Slowly stepping out the shadow of his brother Cillian, the younger O’Connor is developing into one of the finest young attackers in the game.
Operating on the half-forward line, the 21-year-old will assume playmaking duties and also look to run at the Roscommon defence this weekend.
Given his recent performances for the seniors, Mayo will expect O’Connor to deliver a big display.
4. Diarmuid Murtagh (Roscommon)
Murtagh pounced from the bench with 11 minutes left in Roscommon’s defeat to Mayo last Sunday, and still managed to finish top-scorer for his team with 1-1.
A potent finisher, he’s consistently top-scored for the county team whether it’s at minor, U21 or senior level.
He bagged 1-2 in the Connacht U21 final last year and the Rossies be hoping for a similar contribution this time around.
5. Brian Reape (Mayo)
Reape is a Mayo star in the making.
Earlier this year he helped DCU to the All-Ireland Freshers title, scoring 1-5 in the final win over UCD. He was also a key member of Mayo’s Connacht minor championship victory in 2014.
The Moy Davitts man bagged 2-3 in the U21 semi-final win over Leitrim a couple of weeks ago and forms part a potent looking forward line.
6. Ronan Daly (Roscommon)
Daly has featured off the bench in Roscommon’s Allianz football league wins over Kerry and Cork so far this season. He’s been a mainstay on the county’s U21 team since 2014, when he was wing-back in their All-Ireland final defeat to Dublin.
The younger brother of Niall and Conor, he attended Tadhg Kennelly’s AFL Combine back in 2013.
Daly is an attack-minded wing-back with an engine suited for bombing up the field.
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