Blow for Mayo ahead of Roscommon tie
Diarmuid O'Connor will miss the All-Ireland Championship tie this weekend against Roscommon. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
Mayo have been dealt a blow following the news that Diarmuid O’Connor is out of the trip to Roscommon for the weekend's Round 2 championship encounter with Roscommon at Dr. Hyde Park on Saturday, June 1, at 5pm.
It is the only change made by Mayo senior football manager Kevin McStay, with Aidan O’Shea coming in for the Ballintubber man and O’Shea is set to make his 190th appearance for Mayo.
The forward line been tweaked as a result. Ryan O’Donoghue has been moved to centre-forward and Darren McHale in now at wing-forward, with O’Shea, Tommy Conroy and Cillian O’Connor in the full-forward line. The team will be captained by Hollymount-Carramore's Stephen Coen on Saturday.
This will be the 64th championship meeting of Mayo and Roscommon. Only Galway have played Mayo more often in the championship. Of the previous 63 meetings, Mayo have won 37, Roscommon 23, with three drawn games.
Mayo have played 22 championship games in Dr. Hyde Park, their first being a 1-12 to 1-9 victory over Roscommon in 1975. Fifteen of those meetings have been against Roscommon, with Connacht Finals against Sligo (three) and Leitrim, and qualifier games against Westmeath, Limerick and Cavan making up the rest.
Mayo have 16 wins against six losses in Hyde Park, their last loss there coming in 2001 when back-to-back defeats to Roscommon in the Connacht Final and then Westmeath in what was Mayo's first outing in the newly introduced qualifiers.
Barry Cassidy from Derry has been announced as the referee for the game on Saturday.
This game this weekend is live on GAAGO, and Midwest Radio with Michael D McAndrew and Martin Carney. Mayo GAA will also have live update across all social media on Saturday evening.
You can purchase your tickets here.
