NIALL McParland won’t be fit to return to the Down ranks for Saturday’s do-or-die Tailteann Cup quarter-final against Cavan at Kingspan Breffni (5.15pm).
The former Mourne County skipper’s season has been disrupted by injury. He played four and missed three games in Down’s Division Three campaign but was ever-present in the Ulster Championship. He was central to Down’s defensive effort in their 2-13 to 1-11 win over Donegal at Pairc Esler and then carried out a man-marking role on Armagh dangerman Rian O’Neill when the neighbours met in a semi-final duel at Clones.
Although O’Neill scored a late goal, Glen clubman McParland acquitted himself well in that semi-final but injury has ruled him out of the entire Tailteann Cup campaign so far. He expected to be back in red and black in time for the quarter-final but the injury hasn’t cleared up as quickly as he had hoped.
Hard-tackling McParland was absent for the pivotal round give Division Three clash between Down and Cavan at Kingspan Breffni in early March. Down had burst out of the blocks with an early goal from Miceal Rooney but Cavan were back on terms at the interval and, with Down knocking on the door for goals but unable to break through it, the Breffnimen finished brilliantly and, with Paddy Lynch supplying 2-5 from full-forward, they took the two points and went on to clinch promotion the following weekend.
Had he been fit it’s almost certain that McParland would have picked up Lynch on Saturday so his absence is an obvious blow to manager Conor Laverty’s plans.
The result in March arguably flattered Mickey Graham’s men slightly but Down have a lot of ground to make up in this Ulster derby. Cavan clinched promotion and beat Fermanagh in the League final and, although they struggled to reach the pace of the game against Armagh in the Ulster Championship, they were in charge in the second half but left themselves too much to do.
Since then, last year’s finalists have applied themselves in the Tailteann Cup. They beat Laois, London (away) and Offaly by 12, six and 16 points’ respectively to clinch a home quarter-final and will start as favourites against a Down side that produced a determined second half fightback to see off Longford by eight points last weekend.
