Colm Cooper believes that Roscommon can still make an impact on the 2022 All-Ireland Championship despite Sunday's disappointing provincial defeat to Galway.
Anthony Cunningham’s side were the only team in the Allianz League to not lose a game, and they defeated the Tribesmen twice in a week including in the Division 2 final back in April.
However, Galway were the better side at Pearse Stadium on Sunday with Diarmuid Murtagh’s goal in the 77th minute proving nothing more than a consolation for Roscommon in the 2-16 to 2-13 loss.
Despite that, Kerry legend Cooper can still see some open road for the Rossies.
"They’ll regroup, they’ll come back. They’re definitely capable of taking a scalp before this championship is out so don’t rule them out yet," he told The Sunday Game.
Roscommon will now have to wait to see who they meet in round two of the qualifiers on 11 June. Given how the first-round draw played out, they will have a 50-50 chance of meeting either a Division 1 or 2 side.
For Cooper, regardless of who they come up against, he expects to see more from their attacking unit in that next game.
"It’s disappointing for them [v Galway]. I expected a bigger performance, they were just a little bit off the pace.
"I expected more from Roscommon today," says Gooch, "but don't rule them out just yet."#RTEgaa pic.twitter.com/Lu6rnvIGRu
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"Unlike Roscommon teams, they weren’t in Galway’s face. They were shadowing a lot, there was a lack of physicality. They were quite wasteful, they had seven wides inside the first 25 minutes.
"I thought their forwards were very good during the league but today they didn’t show and I think they just lacked a focal point inside as well. Conor Cox was well held, Donie Smith was well held, Enda Smith was well held.
"That usually doesn’t happen them but they just weren’t at the races today with the exception of Ultan Harney who was fantastic, who did trojan work around the middle of the field and he was marking Paul Conroy who has been one of the in-form midfielders in the country. Ultan Harney was a shining light for them."
