NFL Division Two: Down 1-26 Westmeath 0-28
Down maintained their drive to remain in Division Two of the National Football League while relegating a Westmeath side which has been very unfortunate throughout the campaign. In what was a pulsating encounter in Newry, the home team won out with a last-gasp fisted point from sub Adam Crimmins.
There was no shortage of action and good scores in the first half. Dermot McCabe’s Westmeath side led by 0-5 to 0-3 after a quarter of an hour, having also missed three 45s.
A Luke Loughlin one-point free put Westmeath three clear, but Down wiped this out in one fell swoop in the 17th minute when a fine movement ended with John McGeough palming the ball to the net.
A great two-pointer from play by Brían Cooney in the 22nd minute put Westmeath two clear, but four unanswered points from Conor Laverty’s men, including a two-pointer from the impressive Pat Havern, edged them ahead by 1-8 to 0-9 with 26 minutes ahead.
A Loughlin point before the half-time whistle left the scoreboard at the interval showed level scores, reading Down 1-10 Westmeath 0-13.
If the first half was good, the second half was even better, with the lead changing hands regularly and both sides spurning goal chances while also kicking some great points.
Westmeath were the first guilty party for missing a goal chance when sub Enda Gaffney was foiled from point-blank range by Ronan Burns in the 46th minute, with the excellent Odhrán Murdock pointing in a counterattack.
The lead continued to yo-yo as the half progressed. The teams were still level (1-17 to 0-20) when Brian Cooney was denied a three-pointer in the 58th minute. A rapid-fire brace of two-pointers from Havern (one from play and a free) put the Mourne County men ahead by a goal.
However, the best score of the night, a two-pointer from play by Loughlin tied up the game again (1-21 to 0-24) with just over five minutes remaining. A draw looked certain until Crimmins popped up to break Lake County hearts as the hooter sounded.
DOWN: R Burns; P Fegan, P Laverty, C Doherty; R McCormack, D Guinness (0-0-1), P McCarthy; M Rooney (0-0-2), R McEvoy (0-0-1); A McClements, O Murdock (0-0-2), J Guinness (0-0-1); D Scullion, P Havern (0-3-7, 1 2ptf, 3f), J McGeough (1-0-1).
Subs: A Crimmins (0-0-2) for Scullion (h/t); D Magill for McCormack, E Branagan for J Guinness (both 44); S Millar (0-0-3) for McGeough (51); C Mooney for McClements (60).
WESTMEATH: C McCormack; J Gonoud, J Geoghegan, C Dillon; S Smith, R Wallace (0-0-2), S McCartan (0-0-1); R Connellan, F O’Hara; D McCartan (0-0-2), B Cooney (0-2-2) M Whittaker (0-0-2); R Forde (0-0-6, 1f), L Loughlin (0-2-5, 1 2ptf, 4f), B Kelly.
Subs: J Moran for O’Hara (inj, 28 mins); E Gaffney for Smith (h/t); D Giles for Geoghegan (inj, 37); K Martin for Kelly (51); N Harte for Gaffney (68).
Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).
