Sport

Back in the day: in The Irish News on Mar 3 1997: Down fight back for draw in Roscommon

SUNDAY ROAST...Cavan’s Adrian Lambe gets the better of Red Hand defender Paul O’Neill during yesterday’s Division One clash in Dungannon. Cavan won 0-8 to 1-4 to preserve their top flight status Picture: Ann McManus
SUNDAY ROAST...Cavan’s Adrian Lambe gets the better of Red Hand defender Paul O’Neill during yesterday’s Division One clash in Dungannon. Cavan won 0-8 to 1-4 to preserve their top flight status Picture: Ann McManus SUNDAY ROAST...Cavan’s Adrian Lambe gets the better of Red Hand defender Paul O’Neill during yesterday’s Division One clash in Dungannon. Cavan won 0-8 to 1-4 to preserve their top flight status Picture: Ann McManus

DOWN produced a brilliant final 10 minutes to come from four points behind to snatch a draw with Roscommon and were crowned the Division Three champions in this vital game at Orchard Park yesterday.

This draw projects them forward into the quarter-finals for a meeting with old rivals Kerry. But they left it very late against a Roscommon side that played with verve and vitality and had a forward line that gave the Down defence a really testing hour.

Down made their telling switches immediately and with good effect. Jarlath Austin struggled in for a point and with three minutes left Mickey Linden placed substitute Aiden Farrell to shoot over the bar.

A minute later Gerard Deegan gave a pass to Ciaran McCabe, who reduced the lead to a single point, and a minute into injury time John Treanor pointed a Down free after McCabe had been fouled for the score that sent Down into the quarter-finals.

Roscommon: S Curran, S Staunton, M Feely, E Gavin, D O’Callaghan, C McDonald, G Gregg (1-0), E Sweeney, T Ryan (0-2), N O’Donoghue (0-1), A Nolan, E Lohan, N Dinneen, D Duggan (0-4), T Lennon Subs: D Connellan for A Nolan, D O’Connor for E Sweeney

Down: M McVeigh, F Caulfield, M McAvoy, L Howlett, D Flynn, S Ward, C Murray, J Austin (0-1), C Deegan, R Carr, J Treanor (0-3), G Mason (0-1), M Linden, C McCabe (0-3), G Deegan (0-1) Subs: A Farrell (0-1) for C Murray, G McCartan for M McEvoy

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IFA president Jim Boyce has admitted there is a danger that the top clubs could form a breakaway league if an attempt is made to return to the old 16-team Irish League.

Boyce himself is in favour of a variation on the 16-team league, whereby clubs would meet each other once before splitting into two eight-team divisions.

The top eight clubs would then meet each other twice in the hunt for the premier division title, with the bottom eight doing likewise for the first division title.

Under Boyce’s plan, the ‘B’ division champions would replace the bottom team in the first division at the end of each season and every season would begin with a 16-team league.

Boyce said: “I am surprised this system hasn’t been given more of a hearing. Most of the fans I have spoken to feel it would be a worthwhile system. But at the moment all the talk seems to be about a 10 team premier division.”

The Irish League will meet on March 14 to discuss next season’s league structure.

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THE curtain came down on Greyhound racing at Dunmore Stadium on Saturday night after almost 70 years at the north Belfast track.

It was a sad occasion, but it attracted a big crowd, so big indeed that they ran out of programmes.

It was noticeable that patrons stood in groups at the spots that they always viewed their racing from and no doubt they were reminiscing about their many exciting experiences and the spectacular performances seen at this great galloping track where dogs have run 435 yards in less than 23 secs.

Many a tear was unashamedly dropped by those whose pals live across the sectarian divide and who feared they may never share the valued company of their friends again,


for there never was a barrier at Dunmore, a fact which I am delighted to say.

The view from the Press Box was like Halloween night for the camera flash bulbs were flashing all night giving evidence of the many who were making sure that they would have something to remind them of their “Doggy Pals”.

The many dog owners and breeders who were there seemed to be still in shock at the sudden bad news for this great loss is going to have repercussions for so many.