Down through – Armagh out
January 26, 2010
A hat-trick of wins continues the unbeaten start for Down manager James McCartan and puts his team through to a Barrett Sports Lighting McKenna Cup semi-final with Donegal but a second defeat for his Armagh counterpart Paddy O’Rourke means that Armagh are out of the competition.
Down followed their opening round 1-17 to 0-08 win over Queen’s with a 0-19 to 1-11 victory against Antrim before going to Derry in a top of the table clash and coming away with a 1-15 to 1-13 result. Down topped Group C and faced the best runner -up in the last four which place was won by defending champions Donegal who finished second in group B behind Tyrone in the scoring averages. Down will play Donegal on Wednesday night with Fermanagh taking on Tyrone.
Although it’s early days it already looks that returned Aussie rules player Martin Clarke is going to be the key man for the Mournemen in 2010. Down in the same Division Two as Armagh in the National Football League begin their campaign with a tough trip to Kildare.
Fermanagh came to the Athletic Grounds seeking their third straight win in the competition against a home side who had kept their own chances of qualification alive by beating Monaghan 2-13 to 1-11 at Inniskeen in midweek. Following the win over Monaghan beating Fermanagh as it turned out would have qualified Armagh but the Ernemen edged a woeful encounter 1-08 to 1-06. Everyone knows that it is early season and a time for trying out players and experementing during the McKenna Cup but someone should translate this to those in authority with regard to admission prices. Asking £9 to see what was on offer in Armagh is only going to kill off the competition altogether. Given the current economic climate, let alone the January weather £5 is plenty to charge into the McKenna Cup.
Armagh had enough chances to win the game but wasted them. The three McKenna Cup games will not have taught Paddy O’Rourke anything new. There were no stand out performances from fringe players that showed up automatic National League panel inclusion. The best two Armagh performances in the competition probably came from Jamie Clarke and Stefan Forker playing against their own county in Crossmaglen. Saturday Feb 6 away to Meath in the National Football League will be the first real test as the away record against the Royals is not one of the Orchard Counties best.
To help you with planning your football outings the full list of league fixtures are as follows
Saturday 6 February
NFL – Div. I (7.30)
Derry v Tyrone
Mayo v Galway
NFL – Division II (7.30)
Laois v Tipperary
Meath v Armagh
Sunday 7 February
NFL – Div. I (2.30)
Kerry v Dublin
Monaghan v Cork
NFL – Division II (2.30)
Kildare v Down
Westmeath v Donegal
NFL – Division III (2.30)
Offaly v Fermanagh
Louth v Wexford
Roscommon v Cavan
Antrim v Sligo (2.00)
NFL – Division IV (2.30)
London v Limerick
Carlow v Longford
Clare v Wicklow
Leitrim v Waterford
Bye – Kilkenny
Saturday 13 February
NFL – Div. I (7.30)
Cork v Kerry
Dublin v Derry
NFL – Division II (7.30)
Down v Meath
Tipperary v Kildare
NFL – Division III (7.30)
Fermanagh v Roscommon
Cavan v Antrim
NFL – Division IV (7.30)
Limerick v Carlow
Sunday 14 February
NFL – Div. I (2.30)
Galway v Monaghan
Tyrone v Mayo
NFL – Div. II (2.30)
Donegal v Laois (2.00)
Armagh v Westmeath
NFL – Div. III (2.30)
Wexford v Offaly
Sligo v Louth
NFL – Div. IV (2.30)
Wicklow v Leitrim
Kilkenny v Clare
Waterford v London
Bye – Longford
Saturday 20 February
NFL – Div. IV (2.30)
London v Wicklow
Longford v Limerick
Carlow v Waterford
Leitrim v Kilkenny
Bye – Clare
Saturday 6 March
NFL – Div. I (7.30)
Cork v Galway
NFL – Div. II (7.30)
Laois v Armagh
Down v Tipperary
Meath v Westmeath
NFL – Div. III (7.30)
Antrim v Fermanagh
Sunday 7 March
NFL – Div. I (2.30)
Mayo v Dublin
Kerry v Derry
Monaghan v Tyrone
NFL – Div. II (2.30)
Kildare v Donegal
NFL – Div. III (2.30)
Wexford v Sligo (1.00)
Offaly v Roscommon
Louth v Cavan
NFL – Div. IV (2.30)
Waterford v Longford
Kilkenny v London
Wicklow v Carlow
Clare v Leitrim
Bye – Limerick
Saturday 13 March
NFL – Div. I (7.30)
Tyrone v Cork
Dublin v Monaghan
Derry v Mayo
NFL – Div. II (7.30)
Donegal v Down
NFL – Div. III (7.30)
Cavan v Wexford
NFL – Div. IV (7.30)
Limerick v Waterford
Sunday 14 March
NFL – Div. I (2.30)
Galway v Kerry
NFL – Div. II (2.30)
Westmeath v Laois
Armagh v Kildare
Tipperary v Meath
NFL – Div. III (2.30)
Sligo v Offaly
Roscommon v Antrim
Fermanagh v Louth
NFL – Div. IV (2.30)
Carlow v Kilkenny
Longford v Wicklow
London v Clare
Bye – Leitrim
Saturday 20 March
NFL – Div. I (7.30)
Cork v Dublin
NFL – Div. II (7.30)
Down v Armagh
Meath v Laois
Tipperary v Donegal
Sunday 21 March
NFL – Div. I (2.30)
Galway v Tyrone
Monaghan v Derry
Kerry v Mayo
NFL – Div. II (2.30)
Kildare v Westmeath
NFL – Div. III (2.30)
Wexford v Fermanagh
Offaly v Antrim
Louth v Roscommon
Sligo v Cavan
NFL – Div. IV (2.30)
Leitrim v London
Kilkenny v Longford
Wicklow v Limerick
Clare v Carlow
Bye – Waterford
Saturday 27 March
NFL – Div. I (7.30)
Dublin v Galway
Tyrone v Kerry
Derry v Cork
NFL – Div. II (7.30)
Laois v Kildare
Donegal v Meath
NFL – Div. III (7.30)
Antrim v Louth
Cavan v Offaly
NFL – Div. IV (7.30)
Carlow v Leitrim (2.30)
Limerick v Kilkenny
Sunday 28 March
NFL – Div. I (2.30)
Mayo v Monaghan
NFL – Div. II (2.30)
Armagh v Tipperary
Westmeath v Down
NFL – Div. III (2.30)
Roscommon v Wexford
Fermanagh v Sligo
NFL – Div. IV (2.30)
Longford v Clare
Waterford v Wicklow
Bye – London
Saturday 3 April
NFL – Div. IV (7.30)
Kilkenny v Waterford
Leitrim v Longford
Clare v Limerick
London v Carlow
Bye – Wicklow
Sunday 11 April
NFL – Div. I (2.30)
Cork v Mayo
Kerry v Monaghan
Tyrone v Dublin
Galway v Derry
NFL – Div. II (2.30)
Down v Laois
Meath v Kildare
Donegal v Armagh
Tipperary v Westmeath
NFL – Div. III (2.30)
Wexford v Antrim
Offaly v Louth
Cavan v Fermanagh
Sligo v Roscommon
NFL – Div. IV (2.30)
Waterford v Clare
Limerick v Leitrim
Wicklow v Kilkenny
Longford v London
Bye – Carlow
Saturday 24 April
NFL – Div. III
Final
NFL – Div. IV
Final
Sunday 25 April
NFL – Div. I
Final
NFL – Div. II
Final
