FRIENDS TO FOES: Former All-Ireland-winning team-mates Paddy O’Rourke and James McCartan will go head-to-head on the sideline tonight when Armagh face Down in the National Football League at Pairc Esler
The Irish News - Saturday March 20 2010: Allianz National Football League Division Two: Down v Armagh
Although much of the focus on this game will centre on the men wearing the bainisteoir bibs, the battles of real interest will take place on the pitch.
The pick of the duels are Brendan Donaghy v Brendan Coulter, Ciaran McKeevervMarty Clarke, Kieran Toner v Ambrose Rogers and Brendan McArdle v Steven McDonnell. It will also be interesting to see how both teams cope under pressure.
While Armagh's full-backs were able to deal with Kildare's aerial assault, Donaghy and Paul Kernan will find John Clarke and Brendan Coulter to be a more testing proposition, particularly if Marty Clarke is providing the passes.
While Down often had 12 men behind the ball in Ballybofey, Donegal were still able to create good chances which they squandered.
The last time Paddy O'Rourke was involved in this contest he was managing Down. O'Rourke returns tonight as the manager of the opposition. Armagh enjoyed the upper hand in this tie in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
But there are signs that the Mournemen are ready to reclaim the local bragging rights.
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ON THIS DAY IN SPORT- 1915
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- 1938
The BBC televised its first rugby match when it covered the Calcutta Cup game between England and Scotland at Twickenham. Scotland won 21-16.
- 1996
Alan Shearer scored his fifth hat-trick of the season as Blackburn clinched a 3-2 Premier League win over Tottenham.
- 2001
West Indies' Courtney Walsh became the first bowler to take 500 Test wickets when he dismissed South Africa batsman Jacques Kallis in the second Test in Trinidad.
- 2004
A consortium headed by local businessman Gerald Krasner bought financially-troubled Leeds.
- 2007
Andrew Flintoff admitted he was "upset and embarrassed" at being stripped of the England vice-captaincy and being left out of the World Cup game against Canada after his late-night drinking antics.
- 2008
Eddie O'Sullivan confirmed his resignation as head coach of the Ireland rugby team.
- 2010
Imperial Commander, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies and ridden by Paddy Brennan, won the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
- 2011
England won the Six Nations title after Wales failed to beat France in Paris.
- 2012
St Helens parted company with head coach Royce Simmons following a fourth straight defeat, a 12-8 loss at Bradford, with the club on their worst run since 1985.
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Former England striker Michael Owen announced he would retire at the end of the season.
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England completed their first Six Nations Grand Slam for 13 years by beating France 31-21 in Paris.
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Rory McIlroy recorded his first win in 18 months at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
QUICK QUIZ- Italy are one of two participating countries who are yet to win a Six Nations title. Who is the other?
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- 1806: The foundation stone of Dartmoor prison in Devon was laid by Thomas Tyrwhitt.
- 1815: After his banishment to Elba, Napoleon returned to regain power in France. It was his "Last Hundred Days", ended by defeat at Waterloo.
- 1852: Uncle Tom's Cabin, an anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, was published. It became the best-selling novel of the 19th century.
- 1969: Beatle John Lennon married Yoko Ono in Gibraltar.
- 1980: The pirate radio station Radio Caroline, on the ship Mi Amigo, sank after 16 years of broadcasting.
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“The four years before Rio was gruelling... but then this time overcoming all the obstacles, even to get the chance to go to an Olympic qualifier, I can't put that into words.
“I didn't even know if I was going to get the chance to go to these qualifiers … I couldn't walk properly three months ago. I was walking with a limp.
Sidelined for months through injuries, from somewhere, even in his darkest moments, west Belfast boxer Brendan Irvine summoned the strength to carry on ... and qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics