Shine seeks a bright spot

ONE defeat can play funny tricks with the mind. Donie Shine, the Roscommon manager, doesn't want to make too much of his side's loss - their first in the National Football League campaign - to Galway two weeks ago, but the reality is that it has changed their approach to Sunday's Division Three encounter with Down at Elphin.

Now, a match which should have been an out-and-out joust for the sole divisional quarter-final place between two sides already assured of promotion - has a decidedly sharper edge (possibly the sharpest of all Sunday's games). This is particularly so for Roscommon, whose defeat to the Tribesmen leaves them requiring at least a draw to ensure promotion.

"Promotion, rather than the actual quarter-final place, has been our goal all along," admitted Shine. "We were going very well with five wins on the trot up to that Galway game, but that one defeat could do a lot of damage. It wasn't so much the defeat itself, as the nature of it. We were really bad on the day and Galway wanted the points more. Hopefully, that performance was a once off and we have got it out of the system.

"I believe we are good enough to recover from the defeat; that we can still get promotion which is what we set out to achieve from the very start. We recognise the need to get out of Division Three. The attitude among the players at training since the Galway game has been very encouraging. The lads have worked hard and got their heads up. We all know exactly how difficult the match with Down will be and what is at stake for us," said Shine.

Intrigue is added to Roscommon's plight by the proximity of Wicklow and Westmeath, who meet on Sunday. A win for Roscommon over Down would give the westerners promotion and a quarter-final place; a draw would give them promotion but no knock-out spot, while defeat would leave them in a promotion play-off against the winners of Wicklow or Westmeath.

For a change, the Roscommon selectors have pleasant selection headaches with Derek Duggan and Dave O'Connor both available again after injuries which has forced them to defer finalising their team until after training tonight.