Westmeath and Down aim to seal promotion in top two clash

By Gerry Buckley

With Joe Fortune’s hurlers deservedly on the board in their difficult division, and Dessie Dolan’s footballers joint first in their third-tier group, Westmeath fans are looking forward to the St Patrick’s weekend with renewed optimism.

On Sunday, Westmeath will host a Down team who will be trying to maintain their position at the top of Division 3 against the only other team with maximum points. Something has to give and a bumper attendance is expected in TEG Cusack Park for this eagerly-awaited Allianz Football League clash. The match is listed for a 3pm throw-in, albeit it appears that attempts are afoot at the time of writing to have the throw-in brought forward to facilitate the national feast day parade in Mullingar.

The general consensus is that Dolan’s troops have ridden their luck somewhat in a number of games, but there are countless Lake County people who remember dark days – count me in! – when any type of a win was welcome. In that context, the quality of the performance becomes semi-irrelevant as long as precious league points are accumulated.

The current ten points achieved often merit promotion in its own right, but it is by no means out of the question that a dozen may not suffice in this division, with Clare – particularly unfortunate to have left Mullingar with nothing to show for their efforts – breathing down the necks of the top two. Down are way ahead of the chasing pack on scoring difference.

Of course, the best way to counteract that is for Westmeath to win on Sunday, thereby copper-fastening promotion with a game to spare. That is something they would be well capable of at full-strength, but injuries have plagued the camp this spring and it looks certain that a few key men will miss the visit of Conor Laverty’s side, now buoyed by the possible playing return of the multi-talented Marty Clarke.

Overall, the teams have met on 16 occasions in the league, with the Mourne County well in front on the head-to-head with 11 wins to the Lake County’s four, while one game was drawn in Croke Park in 1970.

The first game was played a year earlier in Carrickmacross on the eve of St Patrick’s Day. Down had a host of legendary players on duty that day, remembered still by those in attendance who had to improvise with makeshift fires to combat the freezing conditions. Health and safety issues had not been ‘invented’ 55 years ago!

Among those on duty for the losing team were the late Dan McCartan, whose recent death saddened Gaels nationwide. Ironically, Westmeath now feature a promising forward of that name, himself a grandson of another legend, the late Sean Purcell of Galway.

Remarkably, the men in the famous red and black strip have won the last three games by a total of just four points.

Westmeath could easily have won all three, while the loss in Newry last year was simply galling. Sunday’s crucial Division 3 clash looks likely to be very tight again.

Westmeath v Down: recent league meetings

22/4/2001, Navan, Westmeath 0-20 Down 2-5

25/2/2007, Cusack Park, Westmeath 0-9 Down 0-7

28/3/2010, Cusack Park, Down 2-15 Westmeath 0-8

15/3/2015, Cusack Park, Down 2-17 Westmeath 0-10

9/2/2019, Newry, Down 0-10 Westmeath 0-9

30/5/2021, TEG Cusack Park, Down 0-13 Westmeath 1-9

25/2/2023, Newry, Down 1-10 Westmeath 0-11.