PETER McGRATH realises that Down supporters will not suffer another winter of discontent, ambling through the motions until the championship swings around. Down cannot afford to languish in Division Three. Unfortunately for a Wexford outfit trying to muster together the recipe for a breakthrough, it was exposed to another world in Newry.
Down's forward line included one survivor from the championship sextet. Obviously keen to impress McGrath, the new look attack knifed through a static Wexford defence right from the start. Chief tormentor was full forward Ciaran McCabe. He capitalised, on his team's all round domination to strike two spectacular goals in the 24th and 27th minutes.
Simon Poland made a polished introduction into inter county action in the Down rearguard, alongside Finbarr Caulfield and Conor Deegan. Ross Carr kicked five points and his deft promptings brought out the best in McCabe.
Wicklow made the arduous trip to Casement Park a rewarding one as last season's Division Four champions handed Antrim a defeat that already looks like a wake up call to the Glens men. Favoured by most critics for the drop, this Antrim performance did little to dispel such foreboding.
A vastly inexperienced Wicklow fielded nine players of 22 years old or less, but it was the mature talents of Kevin O'Brien that out shone all else. The Baltinglass man amassed one goal and six points (four from frees). He was the perfect role model to a raft of underlings that, no doubt, will need time to adjust to senior football.
Roscommon must feel like the ghosts of Connacht football. In the shadows of Mayo, and Galway to a lesser extent, their toil has gone largely unnoticed in recent years. They need promotion.
A Damien Donlon goal after 18 minutes set them on their way to a narrow win over an Eamonn Coleman trained Longford at Dr Hyde, Park. Late points from Longford's Padraic Farrell and Padraic Davis almost succeeded in toppling the home side. Whether this reflects a brittle nature in Roscommon or a solid improvement in Longford is open to question. Admittedly, Roscommon did hang on
Barney Rock started his second year in the Westmeath hot seat yesterday and, with the settling in process now behind him, he is faced with the task of finding success. To come away from Tuam, with Galway's scalp in hand is not an easy assignment. Even at this stage, it must stir notions of a quick return to Division Two for Westmeath.
Newly appointed Galway manager Val Daly saw his players out played in a second half brimming with open football. Indeed, Weatmeath would have had a smoother ride were it not for substitute Eddie Casey's penalty miss. Despite this let off, Galway squandered the opportunity to rescue the points with five wides late on.
