The JJ Nestor Cup is up for grabs in Salthill on Sunday as Galway and Roscommon do battle once again in the Connacht SFC final. Here’s our match preview:

 

Sunday, June 16th

Connacht SFC final

Galway v Roscommon, Pearse Stadium, 4pm – RTE

Sunday will mark the fourth successive Connacht senior football championship final meeting between these two counties – the first time in championship history that it’s happened.

Galway have held the upper hand in recent final meetings out west, winning after a replay in 2016 and in last year’s decider while Roscommon upset the odds in 2017 with a 2-15 to 0-12 victory in Salthill.

Sunday’s showdown at the same venue sees the Tribesmen heading in as 4/9 favourites against a Rossies outfit which tore up the script in Castlebar last month.

Anthony Cunningham has had a somewhat of a mini-injury crisis since his team’s one-point victory over a hotly-fancied Mayo side, with Ultan Harney and Cathal Heneghan hampered by serious knee problems while the experienced Fintan Cregg (back) is also side-lined.

The team named by Cunningham for this weekend’s showdown at Pearse Stadium sees Conor Devaney, Diarmuid Murtagh and Enda Smith all drafted into attack from the Mayo victory, with Hubert Darcy, Andy Glennon and Harney the players to miss out.

There is still no place for Damien Comer in the Galway line-up although the Connacht champions’ are positive over having their injured full-forward back on the field of play for the Super 8s, should they get there.

Kevin Walsh has brought in Gary O’Donnell at right half-back in place of injured Corofin star Kieran Molloy as his charges look to keep it to script this weekend and secure what would be their county’s 48th provincial success.

Verdict: Galway

Make sure to visit the hoganstand.com match tracker this weekend for live coverage from Leinster and Munster SHC round 5 and the Connacht SFC final between Galway and Roscommon.

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