Division One relegation play-off

Armagh v Roscommon

(Sunday, Athletic Grounds, 3pm)

ARMAGH coach Ciaran McKeever and his Roscommon counterpart Steven Poacher regularly meet for coffee, but one can only imagine the pair cried off in the lead-up to this crucial relegation clash at the Athletic Grounds.

These two sides came up from Division Two last year, but it would be particularly harsh on the Orchard county if they were the side to drop back down.

The Rossies were well beaten by Dublin and Galway, although they at least made things difficult for Kerry in round three before losing out by six points. They can have no complaints about being in this position.

Armagh, by contrast, know just how close they were to a league semi-final. In round three, one single point against Donegal or if Monaghan had managed one of their own against Tyrone at the same time, and they would have been assured a top-two finish.

They were deserving winners against Monaghan, they could have beaten Tyrone only for momentum to be lost by Stefan Campbell’s missed penalty while they failed to land the killer blow in their draw with Donegal.

Kieran McGeeney has an injury crisis at the moment, and not too many players are likely to be back for this one.

Ryan Kennedy definitely won’t while Stephen Sheridan, Mark Shields and Ethan Rafferty have been ruled out for the season.

Aidan Forker is also out but there was a boost against Donegal as Andrew Murnin came on for the final seconds. Roscommon fans will not forget his first-half performance when the sides met in the 2018 Qualifiers at a scorching hot O’Moore Park.

The Rossies found a way to win that game late on, as they did when the sides met in Division Two at the Athletic Grounds last year. In recent times they have been just that small touch ahead of McGeeney’s side.

Verdict: Roscommon