Down Club Hurling & Football

[Dubh driocht]

Well against all odds we have stayed up so well done to Eamonn Burns, management team and particularly the players.
From the weekend papers it looked as if Armagh would be coming in as Division 3 champions against a downtrodden and relegated Down so there is great delight ( and a fair degree of upyourholerey) that is not the case.
Question for all posters- in three lines or less;
What does Eamonn Burns need to do to get a result on 4th June ?

[SHEEDY]

Cork 1-10 Down 0-13

Down just about secured their Allianz FL Division 2 status as three late points gave them a draw against Cork in Páirc Uí Rinn.

When John O'Rourke got his second point of the game for the hosts in the 60th minute, they were 1-10 to 0-10 ahead set to cruise to victory, but as on previous occasions in this league campaign, they allowed themselves to be shaken from a leading position,

Brothers Ryan and Jerome Johnston were the Down heroes, with Ryan cutting the gap to two before Jerome's 69th-minute point from a 45.

While the latter was off-target with another 45, there was time for Down to win a free out on the right and he curled it over impressively with his left foot, results elsewhere seeing Down survive on scoring difference.

Had they lost and been relegated for the second year in a row, they would have been reflecting on poor shooting, particularly in the first half, when they had nine wides.

Colm O'Neill was in good form as Cork built an early lead and while Down responded with points from Darragh O'Hanlon and Caolán Mooney to trail by two, 0-06 to 0-04, Cork struck for a goal - Ruairí Deane with a nice finish from Paul Kerrigan's pass.

Down goalkeeper Michael Cunningham pointed a late free to leave them four behind at half-time and they began the second half well with points from Barry O'Hagan, Mooney and Shay Millar.

The equaliser was elusive and when Cork pushed on again, through O'Neill, Kerrigan and Deane, that looked to be that. Down had other ideas, however.

CORK: K O'Halloran; M Shields, Tom Clancy (Clonakilty), K Crowley; C O'Driscoll, J Loughrey, S Cronin; A O'Connor, R Deane (1-01); K O'Driscoll, J O'Rourke (0-01), I Maguire; C O'Neill (0-06, 0-04 frees), P Kelleher, P Kerrigan (0-02).

Subs: A Walsh for O'Connor (half-time), D Óg Hodnett for Kelleher (46), B O'Driscoll for Maguire (48), J O'Sullivan for Clancy (53), J McLoughlin for Shields (57), D O'Connor for O'Rourke (70).

DOWN: M Cunningham (0-01, free); D O'Hagan, B McArdle, R McAnallen; D O'Hanlon (0-01, free), C McGovern, J Flynn; C Mooney (0-02), P Turley; K McKernan, C Maginn, R Johnston (0-02); B O'Hagan (0-01), J Johnston (0-05, 0-04 frees, 0-01 45), S Millar (0-01).

Subs: S Dornan for O'Hagan (46), J Murphy for Flynn (51), M Poland for Maginn (64), A Davidson for Millar (64).

Referee: J Molloy (Galway).

[Smurfy123]

I have to give it to EB to bring on 2 attacking players for the last 7-8 minutes to snatch the draw was great management.All is forgiven what a point to stay in this division
The 4th of June can't come quick enough

[Mourne Rover]

When the championship comes round, three priorities would be a kick-out strategy that works, as we have been patchy in that regard; improving our shooting, as the 15 wides today could easily have cost us our draw; and maintaining our discipline, as we had five yellows in the first half alone against Cork. However, for most of the league and indeed for almost all of this afternoon, it looked as though in June Armagh would be the D2 side and we would be in the third. The fact that it will be the other way around has definitely given us a boost after an exceptionally difficult period for players and management.

[SHEEDY]

I have to give it to EB to bring on 2 attacking players for the last 7-8 minutes to snatch the draw was great management.All is forgiven what a point to stay in this division
The 4th of June can't come quick enough

great management or last desperate throw of the dice?? whatever it was well done to everyone on securing division 2 status for another year. as for june 4th, jerome johnston needs to be one of the 1st names on the teamsheet.

[Smurfy123]

Don't let the Orange men score difference fool anyone
They hammered a poor Offaly team out the gate and Louth had a bad day
Tipp Loais and I think Sligo beat them
They beat Longford by 2 and Antrim by 2 who missed a penalty with 2 minutes to go
They had 4 home games.Its McGeeneys third or fourth year
They had 2 decent results and they think they are great
We will win pulling up

[SHEEDY]

Don't let the Orange men score difference fool anyone
They hammered a poor Offaly team out the gate and Louth had a bad day
Tipp Loais and I think Sligo beat them
They beat Longford by 2 and Antrim by 2 who missed a penalty with 2 minutes to go
They had 4 home games.Its McGeeneys third or fourth year
They had 2 decent results and they think they are great
We will win pulling up

i'm expecting and hoping in equal measure that we beat armagh but i wouldnt be putting too much money on us winning pulling up.

[Targetman]

2 great results today, Down's draw in Cork and Armagh's defeat leaves us in a far better place going into championship preparations, bring on 4th June !!

[Down Follower]

What an outcome today, I mean seriously, after two games, how many actually thought that we would still be in Div 2 come the end of the league. Fair play to the lads for turning it around. It appears we now have one of the highest scoring half back lines in the country in mooney and o Hanlon. It also FINALLY appears that we have scoring forwards on the team in the Johnston's and o hagan. If the kick out strategy can be sorted out, we will have come a long way from where we finished last season.

[wobbller]

Perfect results yesterday for June4th

[rosskarr]

What an outcome today, I mean seriously, after two games, how many actually thought that we would still be in Div 2 come the end of the league. Fair play to the lads for turning it around. It appears we now have one of the highest scoring half back lines in the country in mooney and o Hanlon. It also FINALLY appears that we have scoring forwards on the team in the Johnston's and o hagan. If the kick out strategy can be sorted out, we will have come a long way from where we finished last season.

Yes we have come a long way but it's actually from the bottom of Div 1 to 6th in Div 2.

[Smurfy123]

What a difference a week makes in football
Over on the other threads
McGeeney Out
Harte Out
McGrath Out
Barton Out
McGleenan Out
And after all that happened in the league things could be looking up for EB and co
B+ I would rate this league campaign

[Hoes before bros]

😂😂😂 he's a madman 👆

[snoopdog]

While it was good to stay in Div 2 there is a hell of a lot to do in next 8 weeks to Championship. I dont think there is much between Down and Armagh and it will be a very close game in Newry.  A win against Armagh would be great and a decent semi final showing. But its still probably the end of the road for this management team.  Next year on Div 2 will be tougher  again .

[Down Follower]

What an outcome today, I mean seriously, after two games, how many actually thought that we would still be in Div 2 come the end of the league. Fair play to the lads for turning it around. It appears we now have one of the highest scoring half back lines in the country in mooney and o Hanlon. It also FINALLY appears that we have scoring forwards on the team in the Johnston's and o hagan. If the kick out strategy can be sorted out, we will have come a long way from where we finished last season.

Yes we have come a long way but it's actually from the bottom of Div 1 to 6th in Div 2.

Very good 
You have to at least admit though that the spirit amongst the group is at the other end of the scale to what it was last year.  They are fighting for each other, and not with each other as some would have said earlier in the year.