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Down back on track

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION THREE Down 0-13 Longford 0-8 : AFTER THEIR setback at home to Cavan in the previous round, …

Mon Mar 16 2009 - 00:00

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION THREE Down 0-13 Longford 0-8: AFTER THEIR setback at home to Cavan in the previous round, Down got their promotion challenge back on track at Pearse Park yesterday.

The midfield pairing of Dan Gordon and Stephen Kearney laid the foundations for victory, achieved without flu victim Benny Coulter. Prominent in the scoring stakes were John Fegan and Daniel Hughes who fired eight points between them.

Although they had the better of the exchanges in the first half, the visitors kicked eight wides and held a slender 0-7 to 0-6 lead at the break with points coming from Fegan (three), Hughes (two), Ronan Murtagh and Jamie O’Reilly.

Francis McGee (three frees), Padraig Shanley, Willie Skelly and substitute Cian Mimnagh were on target for Longford who levelled in the opening minute of the second half when substitute Paddy Dowd landed a cracking point. However, they could manage only one more point, by McGee in the 49th minute.

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Down had a goal disallowed for a square infringement immediately on the resumption after Paul McCumiskey flicked the ball to the net and then Longford goalkeeper Stephen Watters made a point-blank save to deny Ronan Murtagh. But Down added another six points to their tally to run out comfortable winners. Fegan (two), O’Reilly, John Boyle, Hughes and Stephen Kearney accounted for their scores in the second half.

LONGFORD: S Watters; D Brady, N Farrell, P Foy; D Masterson, E Williams, K Smyth; P Reynolds, K Mulligan; W Skelly (0-1, free), P Shanley (0-1), P Berry; P Barden, D Barden, F McGee (0-4, frees). Subs: C Mimnagh (0-1)for P Shanley (25 mins), P Dowd (0-1)for P Reynolds (half-time), S Doyle for W Skelly (yellow card, 43 mins), P Reynolds for F McGee (64 mins).

DOWN: B McVeigh; C McGovern, P Murphy, H Davey; D Rafferty, K McKernan, C Garvey; D Gordon, S Kearney (0-1); J Fegan (0-5, three frees), J Boyle (0-1), D Hughes (0-3); J O'Reilly (0-2), R Murtagh (0-1), P McCumiskey. Subs: K Duffin for P Murphy (yellow card, 35 mins), L Howard for C McGovern (51 mins), B McArdle for J Fegan (70 mins), C McGee for R Murtagh (72 mins).

Referee: M Meade(Limerick).