DOWN had little difficulty in overcoming a mediocre Limerick side by 10 points, 0-19 to 1-6, at Newry yesterday.
Down suffered a reverse as early as the first minute when midfielder Allen Molloy injured himself in setting up Down’s opening point for Conor Deegan and was replaced by former All Ireland star Peter Withnell.
The big Drumaness man produced a brilliant display of powerful fielding and strong running to signal to manager Peter McGrath that he should have a permanent place on the side.
Played in heavy underfoot conditions the football was always interesting throughout but with Down being so much in control the result was in no doubt long before the end.
In a very strong Down defence Brian Burns, Simon Poland and Miceal Magill were outstanding while Peter Withnell and Conor Deegan controlled midfield.
All six Down forwards figured on the scoresheet with back-again Ross Carr having an outstanding game at full-forward.
Gavin Murdoch, Aidan Quinn and Shane Ward also played a major part in this victory.
Limerick showed limited capabilities but full credit to them they fought to the end. In the full back Dermot Sheehy, centre-half John Quane and righthalf Sean Aherne they had defenders who tackled first time.
Mike Doherty was the only midfielder to show any danger. In attack Tom Cummins, Damien Reidy and Martin Dineen were the only players to trouble the Down defence.
Down: M McVeigh, F Caulfield, B Burns, M McEvoy, S Poland (0-1), M Magill, Sean Ward, C Deegan (0-1), A Molloy, G Deegan (0-2), G Murdoch (0-6), A Quinn (0-3), M Linden (0-2), R Carr (0-2), Shane Ward (0-3)
Subs: P Withnell for A Molloy and P Sloan for G Deegan Limerick: R Boles, M McMahon, D Sheedy, G O’Connor, S Aherne, J Quane (0-1), N Kelly, M Mulvihill, M Doherty (1-0), D Ryan, M Dineen, F Finnan, T Cummins (0-3), P Galvin, D Reidy (0-1)
Subs: M Reidy (0-1 for P Galvin and J Allen for D Ryan and I Bradley for F Finnan
Ref: B Doherty (Louth)
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ARMAGH’S earnestness and determination to qualify for the lucrative National Football League quarter-finals was very much in evidence at the Athletic Grounds yesterday knocking up an impressive 2-15 to 0-12 win tally against a never-say-die opposition Longford.
Armagh were unfortunate not to have had a few more goals.
Top scorer Cathal O’Rourke (1-5) had his 23rd minute penalty superlatively tipped over the bar and the woodwork twice denied Paul McGrane.
Veteran Neil Smyth who started at full forward showed that he has lost none of his old guile and craft contributing hugely to this handsome victory.
The Mullaghbawn ace was quick off the mark, his handling and distribution most effective.
Armagh playing against a very strong wind in the opening half found themselves 0-4 to 0-1 in arrears after eight minutes despite having registered as early as 51 seconds, Kieran McGeeney swinging over a delectable point.
The second half opened with a flurry of scores. Points were traded by Barry and McGeeney and by Smyth and Davies, the latter expeditiously cutting Armagh’s lead to five points.
Armagh captain Jarlath Burns came to the rescue flicking a Martin McQuillan cross to the net and Marsden immediately tagged on a point.
Both teams added five points in the last 20 minutes, the Armagh scores provided by McConville (2-0), O’Rourke (2-0) and Burns.
Armagh: B Tierney, E McNulty, G Reid, T McEntee, M McQuillan, J McNulty, A McCann, J Burns (1-1), P McGrane (0-1), C McGeeney (0-2), J McEntee, O McConville (0-3), C O’Rourke (1-5), N Smyth (0-1), D Marsden (0-2)
Longford: G Ponra, C Keogh, G Brady, P McCormick, C Hannisy, F McNamee, P J O’Neill, P Farrell, E Barden (0-1), M Mulleady, T Smullan, S Donlon (0-2), D Barry (0-5), N Sheridan, P Davies (0-4)
Sub: David Blessington for Mulleady (45 mins)
Ref: Pat McEneaney (Monaghan)
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MONAGHAN who had been flying high after their great victory over Dublin two weeks ago were brought back to earth with a bump yesterday. They suffered only their second defeat in the NFL at the hands of a hard working Kerry in Clones, going down 0-10 to 2-9.
Two goals by the Kerrymen one each in the early minutes of either half were the scores that ultimately scuttled Monaghan’s hopes but they must also look to a number of missed chances and some poor defending as well.
The weekend arctic conditions and early morning rain made life difficult for both sets of players but to their credit they served up some passages of good football.
Kerry led by six points entering the final quarter but the introduction of Peter Duffy and Damien Freeman gave a new dimension to the Monaghan attack while Eamon Hoey in midfield began to work on the Kerry stranglehold.
Monaghan continued to probe for openings and when Stephen McGinnity and Damien Freeman with two points from frees reduced Kerry’s lead to three points with five minutes remaining the result was still in doubt.
Kerry though to their credit didn’t panic but absorbed the Monaghan pressure and broke out for two late points from Michael Francis Russell and substitute O’Sullivan to record a vital win.
Monaghan: J O’Connor, E Murphy, D Duffy, N Marron, G McGurk, S Mullan, J Conlon (0-2), C Ronaghan, P McShane, D Swift (0-1), M Daly, K Hughes (0-1), D Smyth (0-1), D McKernan, S McGinnity (0-3).
Subs: D Freeman (0-2) for K Hughes; P Duffy for D Swift; E Hoey for P McShane. Kerry: D O’Keefe, S Stack, B O’Shea, K Burns, S Moynihan, L Flaherty, E Breen, D O Se, W Kerby (0-1), P Laide (0-1), D Daly (1-1), J Crowley (1-1), D O Cinneide (0-2), J Brennan, M F Russell (0-2).
Subs: S Burke for K Burns, P O’Sullivan (0-1) for J Brennan, L Brosnan for P Laide.
Referee: R McCormack (Roscommon)
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THE sight of Meathmen like Colm Coyle crashing into opponents tells you the championship is not far off, as do Joe Brolly’s exuberant goal celebrations.
Both phenomena in the second half at Celtic Park yesterday helped to stir a couple of thousand subdued and soaked Derrymen as the Oak Leaf county ran out 1-7 to 0-7 winners.
Brolly’s piece of cheeky goal genius eight minutes after half-time to surprise Meath keeper Cormac Sullivan, rose above the honest endeavour that was the hour’s football.
Derry: O McCloskey, K McKeever, H Downey, P Diamond, J McGurk, D Heaney (0-1), P McFlynn, A Tohill, D Dougan, G McGill, G Coleman, E Burns (0-1), J Brolly (1-4), R Boylan (0-1), P Murphy.
Subs: C Higgins for Brolly (52); J McBride for Murphy (57).
Meath: C Sullivan, M O’Reilly, D Fay, D Curtis, P Reynolds, E McManus, H Traynor, N Nestor, J McGuinness, T Giles (0-4), T Dowd (0-1), G Geraghty, E Kelly, B Reilly, S Dillon.
Subs: C Coyle for Curtis (42), J Devine for Traynor (50), R McGee for Dowd (57).
Ref: M McBrien (Fermanagh)
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THE Irish News Cup will remain in Belfast for another year at least after a seven-strong team of brawny young city boxers defeated mighty Dublin – and Romania – at the weekend.
The annual inter-city tournament was held in front of a packed and passionate crowd of fistic supporters at the Balmoral Hotel, Belfast.
And the applause rang out long and loud when Holy Trinity welter Conall Carmichael copperfastened a 4-3 victory for Belfast in the last bout of the night.
It was the third year in a trot that victory, and the treasured Irish News silverware, went to the northern battlers by the slimmest of margins.
“This is three years in a row we get to keep the Irish News Cup and for the third time it went down to the wire,” said Antrim Board registrar and intercity matchmaker Harry Cunningham.
“The match was on a knife edge at three each going into the last bout, it was terrific stuff the tension was powerful. It was a brilliant night for the team, supporters and everyone concerned.
“We were hoping for even more contests against Dublin but for various reasons they didn’t come off, but nobody was complaining after the bill, it was thrilling stuff.”
As the dust settled on the canvas at the end of the sixth exciting bout, the match result stood finely balanced.
With the score at all square and all to fight for Dublin brought in their “mystery man”, Romanian Marius Ciodanu.
Cunningham said: “We didn’t know very much about Marius. He has only settled in Dublin and it was supposed to be his first in Ireland. “But he was a winner of 55 contests in Romania, and by his own admission he had ‘never been beaten”’.
It fell to west Belfast welter Carmichael to end the winning streak and prevent the Irish News Cup from heading south.
And the tall Lenadoon teenager did so in style, taking a unanimous decision from all three ringside judges.
Saints coach Cunningham was glowing in his praise for the Belfast side.
He said Immaculata bantam Sean Carlin “was in brilliant form ” beating current All-Ireland Intermediate champ Darren Campbell.Abbey duo Gary McClure and Eddie Fitzsimmons scored “vital wins” for Belfast as the All Saints trio of Joe Rea, Gary Morrison and Clinton Morrison “fought their hearts out.”
“There is a lot of pride attached to keeping the cup in Belfast,” said Antrim president Billy McKee.
“It also gives our youth boxers a boost. They will be heading to Dublin next weekend to compete in the All-Ireland’s. This win will give them a great lift.”
