GAELIC GAMES: They're off. The 2006 All-Ireland football championship got under way yesterday with a flat season starter in Casement Park. In the Ulster preliminary round, favourites Down duly dispatched a Cavan side weakened by injuries and suspension.
Nothing's simple in championship however and winning manager Paddy O'Rourke was a relieved man after a 1-13 to 0-11 victory in which his team took their time in booking their date with Donegal in the next round.
The victory renews Down's championship challenge for a further four weeks at least and fends off the anxieties that would have beset O'Rourke and his team had they become the championship's first embarrassed candidates for the qualifier series.
"There's loads of room for improvement," said O'Rourke afterwards. "That performance won't win in Ballybofey. We will improve. We've got four weeks to get ready for it. Donegal is another step up. We look forward to the challenge."
Cavan battled away in close pursuit for most of the afternoon but were undone by some star turns in the Down attack. Captain Benny Coulter exerted some sort of polar attraction for the team's most elemental method of attack, quick ball into the square.
Not alone did he score the match-breaking goal with 15 minutes to go but also provided assists for five points. He had sizeable support from Michael Walsh, a player whose recent career has been wrecked by injury.
Fully fit yesterday he kicked five points from play, top form for a dour, championship encounter.
"Mickey's a class act," said Coulter. "He's been injury free for the last seven months and it's been a while since you could say that about him. He showed today how great a player he is."
Meanwhile it was a red-letter (or even green-and-red letter) day for Mayo with the county at last breaking the All-Ireland jinx that had seen them lose elite finals going back to the 1985 minor title win.
Yesterday in Ennis Mayo were crowned All-Ireland under-21 football champions after an impressive win over Cork by 1-13 to 1-11. Having shown great composure in seeing off Tyrone in the semi-final after extra time, Mayo came from behind - they trailed 0-7 to 0-4 at half-time and by 0-8 to 0-4 shortly into the second half - to take their first title in this grade since 1983.
A goal by Aidan Kilcoyne, slotting home the rebound from his own penalty, turned the match around and although Daniel Goulding got one back for Cork, who were reduced to 14 men for most of the second half after defender Stephen O'Donoghue had been red carded, Mayo deservedly held on for a long-awaited victory.
