Connacht SFC semi-final

Preview:If any reminder was needed of the competitive nature of the Connacht football championship then Sligo and Roscommon are about to provide it.

The last two meetings between these teams went to a replay - 2004 and 1998 - and given the current mood of the championship no one would be surprised if this goes the same way.

Roscommon have been rebuilding steadily under manager John Maughan and will be eyeing a place in the Connacht final for the first time since 2004, and a first title since 2001.

Full back Anthony McDermott is their sole championship newcomer, with Maughan's line-up boosted by the return of potent forwards Gary Cox and Derek Connellan. The bigger boost is that Séamus O'Neill has fully recovered from the ankle injury sustained at the end of the National League and resumes midfield duties alongside Michael Finneran.

Sligo manager Tommy Breheny has his star midfielder Eamonn O'Hara struggling with a groin injury, and admits the first-round win over New York told him little about the team's strengths. Still, they showed good spirit in beating Wicklow in the last round of the league.

They put up 2-18 against New York, with Mark Breheny a reliable free-taker alongside Seán Davey, and newcomer Ciarán Quinn looking the part of midfield. In a game certain to go to the wire confidence will count for a lot, and right now that's probably more abundant in Roscommon.

ROSCOMMON: G Claffey; S McDermott, A McDermott, P O'Connor; S Daly, D Casey, R Dooner; S O'Neill, M Finneran; J Tiernan, G Cox, C Cregg; D Connellan, K Mannion, G Heneghan.

SLIGO: P Greene; C Harrison, N McGuire, R Donavan; P McGovern, M McNamara, J Davey; S Davey, K Quinn; B Curran, M Breheny, E O'Hara; D Kelly, P Gallagher, A Marren.

Roscommon v Sligo Hyde Park, Roscommon Sunday, 3.30