DOWN’S only footballing All-star nominee Gregory McCartan gave a five-star performance as the Mourne men avenged last year’s defeat in this Division Three NFL game at wet and windy Cusack Park, Mullingar.
Down edged out a very strong and vigorous Westmeath side by a point, 0-11 to 0-10. The brilliant McCartan scored seven of Down’s points with the last one coming two minutes from time when he took a pass from Jarlath Austin and left-footed to send the ball over the bar for the winning point.
Played in terrible conditions with continuous rain falling, this much-changed Down team produced an excellent display.
If full-forward Ciaran McCabe had had any luck he would have found the net on two occasions.
Down came back strongly and regained the lead in the second half only to be pegged back on two occasions as the sides stood level at 0-10 each with six minutes remaining.
Down piled on the pressure and following Ciaran McCabe’s coming back off the post justice was done two minutes from time when Gregory McCartan produced the winning score.
Westmeath: D Ryan, D Brady, J O’Brien, M Broder, O Keating, A Lyons, K Ryan, R O’Connell, A Coyne, S Colleary, J Murray (0-3), P Conway (0-1), N Dolan (0-6), K Lyons, J Cooney.
Subs: G Heavan for S Colleary and T Cleary for K Lyons.
Down: M McVeigh, F Caulfield (0-1), C Deegan, M Magill, D Flynn, P Higgins, C Murray, G McCartan (0-7), G Bailie, J Austin, L Howlett (0-1), T McMahon, M Linden, C McCabe (0-1), P Sloan (0-1).
Ref: W O’Mahony (Limerick)
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OLYMPIC middleweight star, Brian Magee has been forced to withdraw from the Ulster team bound for the Commonwealth Boxing Championships in South Africa on November 12.
And reigning Ulster senior champ, Colin McFarland has pulled out of tonight’s Commonwealth trial contest at the Dockworkers Social Club in Belfast.
His coach, Micky O’Neill, has lodged a protest with the Ulster Provincial Council on the grounds that McFarland as current champion shouldn’t have to box a trial.
Meanwhile Magee, a 20-year-old from the Holy Trinity Club in Turf Lodge, who reached the quarter-final stages of the Atlanta Olympic Games in July is to have a knee operation at the Blackrock Clinic outside Dublin next week.
He is expected to be out of the ring until the New Year and said he is bitterly disappointed at missing the Johannesburg tournament.
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ST LOUIS, Ballymena had a much easier than expected passage through to next Saturday’s Mageean Cup final after taking early control against La Salle in Casement Park.
Star of the game was Dunloy and Antrim county minor Conor Cunning who hit five goals and five points over the hour.
He got good support from defenders Barry Brogan and Conrad Butcher, with Karl Casey and Dessie Richmond playing very well around midfield.
La Salle lost their way early in the game and did not reproduce their league form.
