All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Qualifier – Round 1B Down v Longford Pairc Esler, Newry, 2pm
Down go into this afternoon’s All-Ireland Senior Football Championship qualifier with Longford knowing they have a very realistic chance of picking up just their second win of 2016.
Despite their 19-point drubbing at the hands of Monaghan in the Ulster Championship opener in early June, there is a sense of optimism within the camp that a victory can be obtained can go some way to restoring confidence within the squad – a confidence that has been visibly lacking from the start of the year.
Despite the reigning Ulster champions running away with the tie at Clones on June 5 – scoring 2-13 to Down’s paltry three points after the break – Down showed enough in the opening third of the clash to suggest that it’s not all doom and gloom in the Mournes.
Eamonn Burns’ men created a plethora of first half chances against the Farney outfit and should have gone in at the interval at least level. Instead they came up against a Monaghan team who gradually got into their stride and showed a level of clinical finishing that they we unable to live with.
Since that day in Clones, Down have lost two more players from their squad with Warrenpoint defender Ryan Boyle and the experienced Packie Downey of Drumgath opting out after failing to make the 26 for the Monaghan match.
On the positive side, Burns has called up Loughinisland’s Ryan Mason while high-scoring Bredagh forward Alan Davidson has been training with the panel. Having been set to transfer from his home county to Antrim after Gearoid Adams revealed Davidson had impressed with the Saffrons, the move was subsequently blocked.
The former Irish League soccer player scored 2-5 from play in an in-house match for Down and, barring injury, should feature in Newry this afternoon.
While Down may go into this afternoon’s match as favourites to progress to the second round of qualifiers, Longford will travel north with ambition of their own.
Having narrowly missed out on promotion to Division 2 of the National League after recording wins over Westmeath, Tipperary, Sligo and Limerick, Denis Connerton’s men produced a disappointing performance against Offaly in Tullamore to exit the Leinster Championship at the first stage by virtue of a 2-21 to 2-13 loss.
However, in Connerton, Longford have a wily, experienced manager who has been at the helm of the county since 2002. That was the year when they got the better of Down in one of the two times the counties have meet in the qualifiers, winning at Pearse Park 1-16 to 1-14.
The second occasion came six years ago when Down won by four at Pairc Esler, 1-14 to 1-10 - the very same year the Mournemen went all the way to Croke Park and the All-Ireland Final where they were edged out by a single point against Cork.
While nobody is expecting a repeat run this time around under Eamonn Burns, Down supporters will be optimistic that their side can at least add to the solitary victory this year, which came against St Mary’s in the Dr McKenna Cup in Newry.
Longford corner forward Robbie Smyth, who hit 1-5 in that defeat to Offaly will have to be watched by the Down defence while the visitors will have to do without the services of Colm P Smyth after the Abbeylara clubman broke his jaw recently.
Today represents a huge opportunity for those in red and black to get their season belatedly up and running and it’s one that they shouldn’t pass up, especially in front of their fervent support who have been starved of championship action in Newry for a long time.
TEAMS
Down: M Reid; C McGovern, G McGovern, D O’Hagan; D McKibben, A Carr, D O’Hanlon; P Turley, K McKernan; R Mallon, M Poland, J Murphy; C Maginn, D O’Hare, B O’Hagan.
Longford: TBA
