Down hoping to double up on successful start

By Shaun Casey

AFTER a fairly one-sided victory over Kildare to kickstart their All-Ireland campaign, Down will be expecting a much stiffer examination of their credentials when they face off against Kerry in round two.

Like Domhnall Nugent’s team, the Kingdom cruised through their opening day fixture against Carlow so both sides will be expecting a step up in class when they lock horns on Saturday afternoon.

The Mourne County were much too strong for Kildare and two first-half goals cemented their victory. Paula O’Hagan, who top scored on the day with 1-6, and Sara Louise Graffin bagged the three-pointers that gave their side a comfortable 17-point win.

Graffin claimed 1-3 on the day herself while Saoirse Sands and Dearbhla Magee chipped in with 0-3 apiece. Aimee McAleenan, Beth Fitzpatrick, Sophie McGrath, Neisha McCullagh and Erin Elliot were the others that got their names on the scoresheet. Those goals haven’t exactly been a feature of Down’s play this season and previously they’d gone four games in the league and the Ulster Championship without raising a green flag. Their last goal was back in February in the second round of the league.

Division 1B was a difficult learning spot for Down and they suffered four defeats from their five outings, but Nugent’s side certainly made steady progress, as shown in their narrow defeat to Antrim in the Ulster Championship semi-final.

Kerry, on the other hand, competed in Division Two of the league, where they won three of their five games and finished the campaign in third place with nine points. That left them outside the league final and promotion places.

Their two defeats came to the table-toppers Offaly and Derry, and they did record victories over Armagh, Carlow and Meath. Winning is a habit worth having and the Kingdom carried that form into the All-Ireland series.

Amy O’Sullivan nailed both their goals in Kerry’s huge 21-point win over Carlow last weekend. She finished with 2-3 to her name, while Patrice Diggin was a helping hand in terms of scoring, hitting 0-6.

The winners of Saturday’s showdown will likely top the group ahead of the final round of fixtures, so there’s a massive carrot dangling in front of both teams. They’ll carry that hunger and desire into the game and home advantage could just be enough to see Down over the line.