Football

Down left needing favour from Pete McGrath

Down's Darren O'Hagan contests possession with Meath's Ruairi Wells during yesterday's encounter
Down's Darren O'Hagan contests possession with Meath's Ruairi Wells during yesterday's encounter Down's Darren O'Hagan contests possession with Meath's Ruairi Wells during yesterday's encounter

Meath 4-14 Down 1-14

PETE McGrath secured a place in Down football folklore when he managed his beloved county to the Sam Maguire in 1991. The Mournemen beat Meath in that final, but roles were reversed in Navan yesterday as the Royals romped to a nine-point win, meaning that Down now need McGrath to do them a favour and inspire his Louth team to an unlikely victory over Meath next weekend.

Even if that happens, Down need to beat Tipperary in Newry to stay up, but Meath manager Andy McEntee expects Louth to be “revved up” for the Leinster derby clash.

“I have absolutely no doubt that Pete McGrath will have Louth well revved up for us next weekend,” said McEntee.

“Not that he has to do much, Louth are always going to be revved up for playing Meath. I wasn’t even thinking that he can do Down a favour at the same time. But there you go, why not?”

Two Meath majors inside the first four minutes left Down playing catch-up throughout yesterday’s clash at Pairc Tailteann and, while they couldn’t be faulted for effort, the Mournemen lacked the pace in defence and the fluency in attack to recover from such an awful start.

The defeat means that Down now sit second-from-bottom in Division Two on four points (a point behind Meath) and need another last day miracle to survive. The Mourne county management opted not to give interviews after the game and, after watching from the stand, former Down Allstar Benny Coulter doesn’t expect them to fight their way out of trouble this time.

“I don’t think Down’s chances are good,” said Coulter. “I can’t see that Meath team losing to Louth. It’s in Drogheda, that’s the only hope, but I can’t see Louth losing so I think that’s Down relegated.”

Coulter added: “The pace of that Meath team was frightening. They had eight or nine goal chances and they were the far better team.

“Connaire Harrison had a chance right at the start and if he had scored things might have been different, but Down didn’t deserve to win.

“Probably the turning point was the end of the second half when Down went up the field and could have got a point from Donal O’Hare, he was fouled but he didn’t get a free and then Kevin McKernan ended up getting a black card.

“Meath went in five points up at half-time instead of going in two points up and it was a struggle for Down in the second half. But all-in-all Meath were a far superior team – that was probably Down’s worst performance of the year and I would imagine it was Meath’s best performance.”

With Armagh and Fermanagh both winning promotion up to Division Two and Derry demoted to Division Four, there won’t be many eye-catching fixtures for Down fans next season if the Mournemen are relegated.

“It’s a double blow Armagh going up and us going down,” said Coulter with a laugh.

“There won’t be any really exciting matches. It’s not a great division to be in and barring a massive win for Louth next week it looks like we’re doomed.”