The last time Roscommon opened their Connacht SFC campaign by beating New York (2001) they went onto win the provincial title. An omen or what? Not for the first season, Seamus O'Neill has been fingered by most pundits as Roscommon's key player ahead of the ratcheting up of this year's senior football championship. An influential O'Neill transforms hope into expectation, his admirers say. After a turbulent year on and off the field of play last year, Roscommon's footballers have it all to do this time around to win back the faith of their long-suffering supporters. When the men from the west take on an apparently rejuvenated Galway side in the upcoming Connacht SFC semi-final on June 18th you can be sure much will depend on the display of Ross's galloping midfielder. Few counties have a singular standard bearer, a blue chip operator upon whose shoulders rest a wholly disporportionate burden or responsibility. Think Dessie Dolan and the way hecarries the flag for Westmeath, how Benny Coulter runs the anchor leg for Down and Mattie Forde as Wexford's perennial torch bearer. On Shannonside, the great O'Neill is the man the vast majority of Roscommon football fans look to to light up their season. "Because I'm a midfielder, of course I can influence a game a lot if I play well but that goes for everyone that's plays," he modestly adds. "Gaelic football is as much a team game as it's ever been and it'll take more than just one man to play well if we're to continue in the Connacht championship." His most avid personal fans say it's no coincidence that the Kilbride clubman made his debut with the county seniors in the same year (2001) that marked Roscommon's last senior provincial championship title win. Soon his current county mentor, John Maughan, will make his championship debut as Roscommon's supremo. Can Maughan match O'Neill's success in being part of a Connacht title success in his debut season with the primrose and blue? Interestingly, the last time Roscommon beat New York in the opening round of the provincial championship, was, in fact 2001. "We hope we're good enough but John (Maughan) has all the credentials to get the best out of us. "He's a good manager and has put as much effort into our preparations as we have. "Hopefully this year we can all enjoy a bit of success." It remains to be seen just how good a team Maughan and Co. are but on the evidence of their outings this year, one suspects that the county is still in work-in-progress mode. Since the new boss has come in, he has had to rely on the likes of our man O'Neill to keep the roof intact while he works feverishly on addressing the foundations of the house. Whether everything will be rosy in the garden when Galway comes calling is a moot point. Making Maughan's men a 14/1 shot to lift the provincial title suggests the turf accountants nationwide don't have an awful lot of trust in Roscommon this year. More ominous still, the westerners can be backed at 200/1 for the Sam Maguire Cup. Much of the thinking of the doubters centres on the suspicion that this is a year too early for both the team-manager and his charges. Others say much depends on how well has Maughan done in his time working on the foundations. Based on the evidence of Roscommon's showing in their opener against New York on May 14th, well, the jury can only be said to be still out as they determine the structural soundness of chez Maughan. To date in 2006, it's been a case of so far so average really for the Connacht title wannabes. A two points tally from O'Neill wasn't enough to prevent Roscommon from failing to nick the two points the county needed in their final 2006 NFL Division 2A tie against Donegal on April 9th. "That defeat was all the more disappointing because it meant that we're going to have to spend another year in division two which isn't the best thing for the team at this point in time," says O'Neill of the 1-9 to 0-14 defeat at Dr. Hyde Park. Fast forward to May14th and a date with New York in a quarter-final which, to a large extent, Roscommon couldn't 'win'. Interestingly, the last time Roscommon beat New York, they went onto win the provincial title. Even without injured pair Karol Mannion at full-forward (broken finger) and Sean Purcell (disclocated shoulder), O'Neill and Co. were considered shoo-ins for advancement to the last four of the provincial championship. There was simply no way that New York were going to cause a shock at one of the GAA's international staging posts. The sides last met in 2001 when Roscommon won by 3-13 to 1-9 in Gaelic Park. While Roscommon finished third in Division 2B of the NFL this year, New York headed into their championship campaign without having had the benefit of League action. With over 2,000 Roscommon supporters in attendance in Gaelic Park, New York for the Connacht championship clash, Roscommon manager John Maughan saw his side - with debutants Richard Dooner (left half back), Stuart Daly (right half back), Sean Fahy (right corner forward) and Enda Kenny (left corner forward) on board - win the game with something to spare, 0-14 to 0-9. As things panned out, New York started the brighter and were two points up after ten minutes as Aidan McCarron set about causing the Roscommon defence a number of problems. However, Roscommon came back strong and fired over three unanswered points to edge in front after 15 minutes. Further points from Ger Heneghan (2) and Seamus O'Neill extended the visitor's lead. New York refused to give up and replied through Gary Dowd, McCarron and Vinny Gavin, but Roscommon held a healthy lead at half time by 0-10 to 0-5. The home side hit back with four points straight after the break to close the gap to one as New York sensed victory was within their grasp. A converted penalty by Ger Heneghan eased the pressure on Roscommon and they held on for an eight-point victory. It seemed to be a case of more relief than joy in the Roscommon camp on the back of the win in the Big Apple. After all, memories of how London gave Roscommon the fright of their lives when the sides met in 2005 were very fresh. However with wins over the likes of Wexford, Down, Offaly and Longford in their 2006 portfolio, there was little chance of Roscommon blowing it Stateside but one wonders would the fans have been happy with the nature and extent of Roscommon's victory? Certainly all 2,000 of the Roscommon fans who flew to the match in New York would have expected a degree of return worth more than just their fare. "I think they'd be pleased," Seamus says. "They were expecting us to win and we did. "Things didn't go quite as well as we had hoped in the national league so to get a championship win under our belts was good for morale. "It was a case of mission accomplished really. "We were on a hiding to nothing in New York. "If we had beaten them by twenty points, people would have said that New York were no good and then of course if they had beaten us . . . ." Had he enjoyed the experience? "Yeh, but it was a bit unreal even though I had experienced it before in 2001. "I thought they were tougher opposition this year though. "They were physically tougher, hit harder and there was really nowhere to hide. "The pitch wasn't great either. We walked it on Friday night and it was very wet but then by the time Sunday came around, it was like a rock." But will O'Neill be the rock upon which the Tribesmen will perish? That's the six million dollar question. Meanwhile, if Roscommon's victory across the Atlantic was a certainty, the decision to continue their championship preparations by staying on for a week's training north of New York in the Catskill Mountains didn't guarantee anything. Like he did with Mayo in 2004, the Crossmolina-born mentor accompanied his charges to the Catskills. "We had a very good trip there with Mayo and I believe we returned after our training camp four or five points a better team," Maughan remarked at the time. "It is very difficult throughout the year for players to train as hard as they do and try and fit in normal lives with domestic and work commitments. "This trip gives us the opportunity to live like professionals." In the end, it seems that perhaps the trip to upstate New York may well have been of more significance than the actual football played in good old Gaelic Park. Roscommon's ace midfielder, for one, gives the trip to Irishtown and beyond the thumbs up: "It was a very enjoyable experience." "There's a lot of new players in the panel this year and it was a good chance for everyone to get to know one another. "As they say, it was a good bonding experience." Roscommon's functional display against New York may not have been inspiring but a win's a win's a win in any man's language. But, for Maughan especially, the test against Galway will be oh so revealing of just where this Roscommon team now stands. "Restoring the players' confidence and maximising their ability will be our priority," the Mayo native declared last February. His chief lieutenant on the other side of the sideline believes that Roscommon has close to the right mix to make Maughan's day on June 18th next. "We've a nice mix of young, inexperienced but very keen lads with the more seasoned players and if we all gel together then things might turn out pretty well against Galway." Certainly with the likes of Seamus, Ger and Stephen Lohan, Karol Mannion and Seamus McDermott plus John Nolan, the homesters won't lack for leadership or experience when the Tribesmen visit Dr. Hyde Park. "A few of us know the ropes alright," the Kilbride stalwart quips. "I hope that a few of the older lads can take the rope and help the younger fellas out," he adds. Ousted by Mayo in the 2005 Connacht SFC (0-11 to 1-16), Seamus concedes that Roscommon have quite a bit of improvement to do if they are to put a stop to their subservient self west of the Shannon - at least with regard to Galway and Mayo over the last five years. Did Sligo's capacity to hurt Galway in their recent meeting give him comfort, hope? "Sligo did well but I wouldn't say that how they performed gave us a boost. "I thought Galway pulled away when they needed to." As someone who has played against Galway on numerous occasions over the last six years, Seamus O'Neill is only too aware of the artillery that's in their armoury. He cites Messrs. Meehan, Padraic Joyce, Armstrong and Donnellan as their key men but reckons the players, collectively, are improving with each outing. He ain't sure whether Roscommon's Class of 2006 can repeat the county's heroics of five years ago and make the Connacht final this year. "It's hard to know. "Certainly the current team is just as fit as the 2001 side but I'm not so sure we're as physical a side." Of course 24 year old O'Neill is famed for his physicality and the man himself believes that he has never been as fit as he is at the moment. "I've had no injuries this year which has been a big help in reaching a top level of fitness and maintaining it. "Over the years I've had knee, ankle and back trouble but hopefully they're all behind me now. "I'm looking forward to the Galway game." Ditto thousands of success-hungry fellow Rossies. Tweet

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