All-Ireland Senior Championship Group Two: Down v Dublin (tomorrow, Páirc Esler, 5pm)
DOWN’S make-or-break game was always likely to be this third round tie in Páirc Esler and that is despite the team almost pulling off a victory in Waterford in the opening game.
To prove that Walsh Park performance was no fluke, Down stood up to Cork in Newry last Saturday and came away with their reputation intact and now face into a home tie with a Dublin side that is possibly at the other end of the confidence-spectrum after losing by 13 and 14 points to the same two teams on successive weekends.
What was impressive about the Cork game last Saturday was that Down conceded a goal in the first half that opened a gap, but then battled hard to keep that gap from opening further.
That had to be done without the experienced Clonduff pair of Paula O’Hagan and Sara Louise Graffin who had featured prominently in the Waterford game.
However, Down’s achievements in keeping the score to manageable proportions in each of those games will count for little if they do not take the game to Dublin in the same manner.
Cork fielded their strongest team against Dublin while there were a couple of notable absentees when the Rebelettes faced Down. Cork had Dublin well beaten before half-time.
Dublin had edged Waterford a month earlier to relegate them to Division Two of the league and the Déise were really up for revenge. Again the game was out of Dublin’s reach before the break.
But Dublin have some fine players in free-taker Aisling Maher, Niamh Gannon and Jody Couch up front and Grainne Quinn, Eve O’Brien and Hannah Hegarty at the back. They may have taken a couple of hard beatings over the past fortnight, but good players don’t forget how to play well overnight. They will have targeted this game from the start of the competition and, with new management in place and a transition period in progress, their aim would probably have been to remain in the both Division One and the senior championship this year.
Down have shown that they are adaptable, adjusting the game-plan significantly to suit the Cork game.
Niamh Mallon and Sorcha McCartan are their main source of scores and Dublin will have noted this. The others work hard to win and hold ball up front, but maybe this is a game where they need to get back to scoring.
The defence has been changing. At the start of the year Deirbhile Savage was coming into the side as a centre-forward before moving into defence where here sisters Blanaid and Alannah have since joined her.
It will be interesting to see if Dearbhla Magee reverts to full-back or is selected at midfield where she turned in a big performance last Saturday.
Down have the team to get the victory but they need to be wary.
There are two other games like Down v Dublin where teams that win stay up in the senior championship while the loser have relegation ties next month.
Despite a creditable performance from Westmeath last week against Kilkenny, Clare should beat them, while Limerick can put a poor performance last week behind them and beat Offaly.
At the business end of the championship, six teams are guaranteed quarter-final spots already, but the winners of the group games could reach the semis.
No-one will expect Waterford to beat Cork and a rejuvenated Wexford are likely to struggle with Tipperary on Monday.
That leaves a mouth-watering clash between Kilkenny and Galway, a repeat of last year’s final and also the league decider last month. Kilkenny won both – but Galway can gain revenge here.
Weekend fixtures
Saturday, July 31
All-Ireland Senior Championship
(St Rynagh’s, 2pm): Offaly v Limerick
(Cusack Park Ennis, 2pm): Clare v Westmeath
(Páirc Uí Rinn, 5pm): Cork v Waterford
(Páirc Esler, 5pm): Down v Dublin
(Callan, 5pm): Kilkenny v Galway
All-Ireland Intermediate championship
(Cork Camogie Grounds, 1pm): Cork v Antrim
(Callan, 1pm): Kilkenny v Kildare
(Santry, 2pm): Dublin v Galway
(Lixnaw, 2pm): Kerry v Derry
(Drum and Inch, 5pm): Tipperary v Laois
(Fenagh, 5pm) Carlow v Meath
All-Ireland Premier Junior Championship
(Dr Hyde Park, 2pm): Roscommon v Clare
(Walsh Park, 4pm): Waterford v Wexford
(Páirc Esler, 7.30pm): Down v Limerick
Sunday
All-Ireland Senior Championship
(Semple Stadium, 2pm): Tipperary v Wexford
Tesco All-Ireland Minor Championships (2pm unless stated)
Minor A
Athenry: Galway v Tipperary
Waterford IT: Waterford v Kilkenny
Cork Camogie Grounds: Cork v Limerick
Minor B
Owenbeg: Derry v Westmeath
Banagher: Offaly v Kildare
Fenagh: Carlow v Laois
Minor B Shield
Kilcormac-Killoughey : Kerry v Armagh
Kilmessan : Meath v Roscommon
Minor C
Healy Park: Tyrone v Donegal
Crosskeys: Cavan v Mayo
