Dr McKenna Cup Section A, R2
Armagh v Down
Wednesday, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh, 7.30pm
Dr McKenna Cup Section A, R3
Tyrone v Down
Sunday, Pomeroy, 1.30pm
By Peter McGrath Jnr
Like a golden sun rising in the east, a new year dawns and, with it, comes hope, expectation, and excitement among other feelings and emotions. For Down football fans, the beginning of January wraps its arms around them with a return to county football, and this week Conor Laverty’s charges will have two matches in the McKenna Cup. Tonight, they travel to the Athletic Grounds to take on Armagh, and on Sunday, a trip to Pomeroy to play Tyrone awaits.
Tonight’s game was originally fixed for Newry, then Burren, before it was deemed the Armagh venue would be most suitable given the expected crowd and with ongoing work taking place at Páirc Esler. Weather dependent, this will give Conor Laverty a chance to look at some of his squad. Down’s most recent game was the McGeough Cup challenge match played against Louth last week. The team blended a mix of players with a level of experience alongside fresher faces, and that is probably what fans can expect to see again in both McKenna Cup games.
The spine of the team against Louth included Ronan Burns, Pierce Laverty, Ryan Magill, and Pat Havern, while other positions were filled by several players who impressed at club level throughout last year. Finn Murdock, Pearse McPolin, Shane Annett, Jamie Doran, and Eamon Brown were among the starters, and these are players the Mourne fans will be looking forward to seeing against high-quality Ulster opposition.
Over 7,000 fans turned out to see Armagh in their loss to Tyrone in their opener, and another bumper crowd can be expected, albeit a midweek fixture won’t suit as well as a Friday night encounter for such large numbers. Oisin O’Neill and Oisin Conaty impressed in the Armagh full forward line, scoring four and three points respectively, while their whole half-back line also contributed scores. Kieran McGeeney went with a relatively strong lineup, and it remains to be seen if he will replicate that selection pattern for the Down game or if he will opt to go with more rookies in the ranks.
Tyrone, too, who Down face on Sunday, also went with a fair sprinkling of instantly-recognizable faces from the start against the Orchard County. Should similar starting lineups take the field, these will be two testing games for Down, but that is precisely what Conor Laverty and his management team will want.
Division Three this year is huge for Down. Anything other than promotion is, quite frankly, not an option worth considering. Down showed the performance levels they are capable of reaching last season, and they must assert their quality in a league that should allow them to do so. The McKenna Cup games will be key for the management to get a look at who may be able to positively influence several of those crucial league matches.
With newer faces, returning bodies, and experienced campaigners vying for spots in those league fixtures, Down will be going out to show the best of themselves in these McKenna Cup games, and so, supporters should have plenty to get their teeth into.
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