By DARREN KELLY

As Lent concludes and vows are relaxed, and children delve into chocolate eggs, Galway’s senior footballers reach the stage of the season where their sacrifices have been focused as they face Roscommon in the Connacht senior football semi-final (Pearse Stadium, 4pm) on Sunday.

Both teams are back on home shores following travels beyond and wins secured. But the real test of summer credentials would always come down to Easter Sunday’s face-to-face in Salthill.

Thanks to two goals from Matthew Tierney and a Cian Hernon green flag from wing back, the Tribesmen took down the New York 3-28 to 0-20 victory in Gaelic Park two weeks ago.

Manager Padraic Joyce only fielded seven of the 2024 All-Ireland Final team, ensuring competition in Irish fields will be ferocious. The starting announcement this week is eagerly awaited.

Galway are targeting a 10th consecutive Connacht Final appearance; something not achieved since 1965. They stand two games away from completing a four-in-a-row of Nester Cups for the first time since the All-Ireland winning year of 1966.

But to do that, they’ll have to overcome their two biggest provincial rivals. Leitrim meet Mayo on Saturday in the first semi-final in Carrick-on-Shannon but even the home support is expecting the green and red to march into a Castlebar decider on May Bank Holiday weekend.

However, nobody supporting maroon will be taking the visitors to Pearse Stadium for granted. Galway have won their last three championship clashes by an average of just four points. In the 2023 semi-final, Damien Comer’s 1-4 proved decisive in a 1-13 to 1-9 win at Dr. Hyde Park.

They met in the final the previous year where Shane Walsh kicked 1-6 in a 2-19 to 2-16 victory at Pearse Stadium. Neither started in New York but only injury should deny them this time.

Even though it’s six years since Roscommon beat Galway in the championship, their two Connacht Final victories in 2017 and 2019 came in Salthill at the maroon and white’s expense.

Joyce has also fallen to the primrose and blue during his tenure – Diarmuid Murtagh’s late goal secured the Division 2 National Football League crown in Croke Park in 2022.

Roscommon plied their trade in that division this term  They began with three victories over Down, Louth and Monaghan but stumbled to just three points from their remaining four games. They went down 1-26 to 0-19 to the Farney men in the decider.

But no different to the hosts, Roscommon manager Davy Burke was focused on this date. While promotion was achieved, it wasn’t necessarily the priority with Dublin and Armagh having taken Sam Maguire from the second tier over the last two years.

And Roscommon will remember finishing just six points short of the Orchard men in last year’s quarter-final, having coughed up the two goals early on through unforced errors.

Oranmore-Maree’s Conor Carroll is their goalkeeper while Ruaidhri Fallon and David Murray have led the defence. Captain Brian Stack is expected to play some part upon his return from injury.

Pictured: Galway’s Seán Kelly comes under pressure from Roscommon’s Donie Smith during the 2023 Connacht semi-final at Hyde Park. The teams renew championship rivalry at Pearse Stadium on Sunday.