Joe McDonagh Cup Round Five

Down v Meath

Saturday, Ballycran, 1pm

By Shaun Casey

IT’S do or die for Down this weekend as they battle it out with Meath in the final round of the Joe McDonagh Cup.

It’s as simple as this, whoever comes out on top in Saturday’s round five clash will retain their Joe McDonagh Cup status for 2023.

The loser will be relegated and forced to compete in the Christy Ring Cup next season. Meath just survived in the competition last year by beating Kildare in a relegation play-off.

The Royals were relegated from Division 2A earlier in the year and the teams league campaigns couldn’t have played out any differently as they finished at opposing ends of the table.

Down won four from five and finished at the top, securing their place in the league final. Things didn’t go to plan as they eventually lost out, quite heavily, to Westmeath in the decider, 5-19 to 1-17.

Meath on the other hand were placed at the bottom, picking up just one win from their five games, a round-one victory over Kildare.

The Leinster men hosted Down in round two in what proved to be a fairly even
affair, which Down just shaded.

It was level heading into the final few minutes of the game, but the visitors finished in style with scores from Oisin McManus, Barry Trainor and Daithí Sands winning the game.

Meath are currently bottom of the Joe McDonagh Cup table, with Down are just ahead of them in fourth place on two points, picked up on the opening day against Kerry.

That first round win has been followed up with a string of defeats however, with Antrim, Offaly and more recently Carlow overcoming Ronan Sheehan’s team.

The Mourne men needed a win last weekend to ease their relegation fears, but now face a final day battle with the Royals.

Admittedly, Down faced perhaps their three toughest tests in the first three rounds, taking on Division One sides Antrim and Offaly, but they will be hugely disappointed with how last weekend panned out.

Carlow were in control at the halfway stage, having built up a 0-15 to 0-7 advantage at the break.

A Daithí Sands goal did offer a lifeline, but two quickfire three-pointers from Conor Kehoe and Martin Kavanagh, the competition’s highest scorer, secured victory for Carlow.

Down have earned victory in their last three meetings with Meath and with home advantage, should extend that record to four and secure their status.