Down all to play for in Ennis

Down all to play for in Ennis

8 February 2017

IT’S a long, long way from here to Clare and an even longer way back if Down get beaten on Sunday.

The Down faithful make the arduous journey to Ennis knowing that a defeat to the Banner County could very well condemn them to Division 3 for 2018 — even at this early stage of the season.

It may only be the second round of league fixtures, but Down’s survival hopes are hanging by a thread after Saturday night’s drubbing at the hands of Fermanagh.

Clare were the bookmaker’s favourites for relegation, but a draw against Derry in Celtic Park 

has suddenly raised their stock.

Why would a defeat to Clare spell disaster for Down? Quite simply it is unlikely that the Red and Black will get any change out of Kildare, Meath, Galway or Cork. A win over Derry is achievable and thus victory over Clare is a must.

If Eamon Burns’s side can manage to pull off these two results then that would leave them on four points and even then still not clear from relegation.

Down’s starting 15 for Saturday night’s league opener in Newry was baffling.

Kevin McKernan, Peter Turley, Conor Maginn and Ryan Johnston were all benched, even though all four did come on as subtitutes.

Surely, this quartet should have been in from the start such was the magnitude of the fixture.

The team that did take to the field of play looked laborious at times and unable to keep up with the tempo that Fermanagh had set.

Down’s kick out strategy didn’t yield a big enough return and apart from Alan Davidson there was a severe lack of scoring threat from his partners in crime.

Clare will have been buzzing from that tremendous result in Celtic Park.

Dual star Gary Brennan was imperious at midfield with David Tubridy a menace on the edge of the square. Free taker 

Eoin Cleary also put in a rock solid performance.

Down have now lost 13 league and championship games in a row. The cycle will be broken at some stage, but the question just remains when?

They should get closer to Clare than they did Fermanagh, but a win looks an extremely tall order. It is imperative that Eamon Burns goes with his strongest team from the start.

This will give his side a fighting chance. More blooding newbies and experimentation will likely falter.

The pressure is really on now.

Meanwhile, Marty Mallon takes his Down hurlers to Pairc Tailteann, Navan, on Sunday for their opening Allianz Division 2B fixture.