Tough season predicted for Down footballers

Peter McGrath jnr has studied Down’s NFL Division Two opponents and highlighted that each team has had good fortune against the Mourne County in recent years. Can the county turn that around in 2025?

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Ryan Johnston playing against Westmeath last year

By Peter McGrath jnr

sport@mourneobserver.com

LOOKING ahead to the National Football League, many forecasters are warning of a difficult campaign for Down as Conor Laverty leads his side into Division Two for the first time since taking the helm. 

The last time Down played at that level was 2022 and the Mournemen failed to register a single win at all. 

Of the seven sides they have to play this year, they met three of them in the ill-fated 2022 league. 

Unfortunately, even leaving those three aside, things don’t get much better when you look at the other opponents’ most recent league clashes against Down. 

Of the seven, Down have lost in six of the head-to-head games, the only side they will meet this year who they avoided defeat against in the most recent league head-to-head being Meath. 

This year Down start the league with a trip to Roscommon. 

The Rossies are one of the three sides in the Division who Down have never crossed paths with in Championship football but the most recent league game was on February 26th, 2022. 

That day, Roscommon came to Newry and left with a 1-18 – 0-10 victory. Andrew Gilmore (in his debut season) had got Down off the mark early but they were soon swamped by the visitors who proved too strong. 

With the league beginning on the 26th of January this year, Down will hope to go to Dr Hyde Park and do something similar to what Roscommon did to them exactly two years and 11 months before. 

Down’s second league game, and their first at home, is against Cork. 

The Munster side have a long trip and Down will hope to use that to their advantage.

When Down last met Cork in the league (also 2022) it was Down who travelled and ended up beaten; 1-16 – 1-12. 

There is plenty of history between the two sides with many memorable championship matches down the years. 

Cork will recall with pleasure the 2010 All Ireland final which the Rebels won 0-16 – 0-15. 

Older Down fans will have fonder recollections of the 1991 All-Ireland semi-final when Down met Cork for the first time in Championship football and triumphed 1-13 – 0-11.

The most recent championship encounter was a Round 4 qualifier in 2011 which Cork won comfortably but both Down manager, Conor Laverty, and selector, Martin Clarke, scored for the Mournemen that day.

Read the full article now in the current issue.

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