Senior footballers set off on league road against Roscommon

Dublin get their Allianz FL Division 1 South campaign up and running when they face Roscommon in Hyde Park this Sunday (1.45, live on TG4).

In their remaining regulation games Dessie Farrell's men will then encounter Kerry (neutral venue, Semple Stadium, Thurles) and Galway (St Jarlath's Park, Tuam).

The Allianz Football League will run from this weekend to the weekend of June 19/20 with Divisions split into North and South as originally planned in December.

Four teams will be in each group based on geography with three round-robin games per county. The top two in each divisional group will advance to the league semi-finals followed by potentially a league final.

The bottom two in each divisional group will play relegation semi-finals with the two losers of those matches relegated.

League finals will only be played on June 19/20 if the counties involved are not playing in the championship the following weekend. If they are, then joint-winners will be declared for Division 1 and joint-winners and promotion for Divisions 2, 3, and 4.

Last year Dublin finished second in the top-flight with Kerry capturing their league title on the day they defeated Donegal in Round 7. Ultimately all that separated Dublin and Kerry over the course of the league was the conclusion of their contest in the opening round when the Kingdom earned a draw with a converted injury-time free in front of a crowd of 42,502.

Dublin's results last year were as follows:

Round 1: Dublin 1-19 Kerry 1-19, Croke Park

Round 2: Mayo 0-8 Dublin 1-11, MacHale Park, Castlebar

Round 3: Dublin 1-15 Monaghan 1-15, Croke Park

Round 4: Dublin 1-15 Donegal 1-14, Croke Park

Round 5: Tyrone 1-10 Dublin 1-7, Healy Park, Omagh

Round 6: Dublin 1-20 Meath 0-19, Parnell Park

Round 7: Galway 0-15 Dublin 2-15, Pearse Stadium, Salthill

Dublin last met Roscommon in the 2019 All-Ireland quarter-final (phase 2) clash in Croke Park when the Dubs won 2-26 to 0-14.

The early exchanges were balanced with Roscommon running hard to make inroads in the Dublin defence and the sides were level 0-3 in the tenth minute following a Conor Cox point for Roscommon but once Jim Gavin's men clicked into gear they proved too hot to handle.

Gavin's men used the long ball to telling effect on several occasions with Con O'Callaghan a major ball winner on the inside forward line.

The Cuala man kicked two first half points, one following a superb fetch, but was also fouled for three frees for Dean Rock to convert.

The Ballymun Kickhams man's place-kicking was brilliant and he finished with a personal tally of 1-11, including ten frees. Michael Darragh Macauley was Dublin's other goal-scorer.

The sides also clashed in the league in 2019 when Dublin won by five points, 2-14 to 1-12, in Dr Hyde Park.

A strong second half saw Dublin come from behind to edge out their Connacht opponents.

At one stage of the opening half Dublin led by five points following Con O'Callaghan's goal but the sides were level at the break (1-9 each) before the home side moved into a two-point lead early in the second period.

For the Dubs the key score came in the 51st minute when Dean Rock swept the ball to the net left-footed in a crowded square as Jim Gavin's men hit 1-5 without reply to set themselves up for victory.