Throw in for this match will be at 20:00 on Friday, 16^th July in the Athletic Grounds.

Down look to be a very strong side after thrashing a poor Cavan side, scoring 2-17 in the match.

Their goalkeeper has shown his class as well, keeping a clean sheet and coming up the field to score two frees and two 45s.

Fermanagh also had a very comfortable victory over Antrim by nine points. They have shown their class in front of goal, hitting the back of the net twice.

Corner forward Conor Love managed six points from play in the game and will want to get on the score sheet on Friday.

Photos from last nights @UlsterGAA U20 Quarter Final game between @CavanCoBoardGaa and @OfficialDownGAA – photos by Louis McNally pic.twitter.com/YKMRzLLwQK

— Official Down GAA (@OfficialDownGAA) July 10, 2021

Predicted Starting 15

Down

Smyth (GK); T. Fettes, S. Campbell, P. McCarthy; T. Smyth, P. McMullan, R. Magill; A. Morgan, T. Close; D. Magill, S. Johnston, J. McGovern; A. Gilmore, E. Brown, R. O’Hare.

Fermanagh

McNally (GK); A. Jones, J. Horan, M. Flanagan; J. Largo-Elis, A. McManus, R. McHugh; J. McDade, J. McDade; F. O’Brien, T. Keenan, J. Largo-Elis; R. McCaffrey, D. McBrien, C. Love.

The Fermanagh U20 team take to the field for their Ulster Championship match against @AontroimGAA 15 minutes until throw in pic.twitter.com/A8H6XWtohQ

— The Impartial Reporter (@impartialrep) July 9, 2021

Betting

Down 1/10

Draw 14/1

Fermanagh 13/2

Electric Ireland Ulster GAA U20 Football Championship:
Cavan 0-06
Down 2-14
9 mins – 2nd half pic.twitter.com/wTDu7KxPrI

— Official Down GAA (@OfficialDownGAA) July 9, 2021

Score Prediction

Both sides faced poor teams in the quarter-finals and showed their quality to create scores.

Down seemed to be the more capable and tenacious side and should have the edge over Fermanagh on Friday. Expect Down to take the win in a close tie only separated by a few points.

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1. 2002, Dublin 2-11 vs 0-10 Meath – Leinster Semi-Final.

It seems like a distant memory now, but Dublin were not always the juggernaut they are now. Meath were very much the county on top of Leinster at the turn of the century. In 2002, Dublin were entering their seventh season without a Leinster title.

In addition, there was not exactly huge expectations from the capital. A mediocre League campaign was followed by a victory over Wexford in the Championship before the Meath fixture.

Previously, Meath had taken apart a Kerry team in 2001 that had beaten Dublin. While it had been 3 years since the Royals won the Sam Maguire, there was still a huge gap between them and Dublin.

But, once the ball was thrown in this Leinster semi-final the Dubs came out firing. Manager Tommy Lyons worked the magic that saw him bring Kilmacud Crokes to Club glory in 1995. It was Ray Cosgrove who led the charge with two goals to sink Meath.

Since then Meath have only won one Leinster final. In contrast, Dublin have only improved. That game very much marked a power shift in Leinster.

2. 2007, Sligo 1-10 vs 0-12 Galway – Connacht Final.

For the longest time Connacht has been dominated by Galway and Mayo with Roscommon joining them in recent years. Hence, when Sligo upset Galway in 2007 it was a huge upset.

The semi-final was a shock in itself. After being six points down in the second half in Dr Hyde Park, the Yeats County won the final twenty minutes by eight to beat Roscommon.

The final went to a fro in the first half. Then, in the 24th minute Eamonn O’Hara found the net for Sligo and by half-time they were two up. In the final 20 minutes Sligo only scored one point but their defence held strong.

The win was their first Connacht title since 1975 and it ruptured the Galway/Mayo trend that had developed in Connacht.

3. 2010, Down 1-16 vs 1-10 Kerry – All-Ireland Quarter-Final.

When Down knocked reigning Champions Kerry out of the Championship at the quarter-final stage in 2010, it was the first time the Kingdom weren’t playing football in September since 2003.

Mark Poland scored the crucial goal for Down as the Ulster side raced into a 1-4 to 0-0 lead. Likewise, Marty Clarke was doing serious damage. Kerry came back somewhat but never really managed to get a foothold in the game. Hence, the upset was more than just Down defeating Kerry. It was the comfort with which they did it.

4. 2011, Tipperary 3-09 vs 1-14 Dublin – All-Ireland Minor Final.

Before Dessie Farrell took charge of the Dublin Seniors this year, he had already been successful with the county at minor and u-21 level. However, the 2011 Minor Final is absent from his CV. In Farrell’s first year in charge of the Dublin minors, they were dramatically beaten in the final by Tipperary.

The Tipperary manager that day was David Power who himself took charge of the seniors this year. Goals from Liam McGrath, Michael Quinlivan, and Colman Kennedy saw the Premier County’s first title in 77 years.

Dublin controlled the final and had a two-point lead going into the final 5 minutes. Then, a quick 1-1 from Tipperary stunned the blues and they couldn’t undo the damage in time. That Dublin team contained Ciarán Kilkenny, John Small, Jack McCaffrey, Paul Mannion and Cormac Costello.

Likewise, many of the Tipperary players that day continued to have successful careers. For example, Michael Quinlivan was influential again in 2017 when Tipperary pulled off another upset against Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final.

5. 2018, Kildare 0-21 vs 0-19 Mayo – Round 3 Qualifier.

Mayo were the real threat to Dublin’s dominance in the 2010s. The Dubs beat the westerners in the 2011, ’13, ’16, and ’17 finals with 2016 requiring a replay. Furthermore, the sides met in the 2015 semi-final and had to replay that game too. So, when Mayo were knocked out of the 2018 Championship in the third qualifying round, it was huge news and Dublin walked to a fourth All-Ireland on the trot.

‘Newbridge or Nowhere’ was the rally call before this game. The Lilywhites refused to sacrifice their home draw for a Croke Park double-header and the performance justified their fight.

Kildare went toe-toe with Mayo. At the time, Mayo had proven themselves as one of the best teams in the country consistently. However, Kildare’s home advantage helped them rattle off six of the last nine scores to knock Mayo out.

Kildare couldn’t replicate the form in the Super 8s but the absence of Mayo sent shockwaves through the Championship.

Incredibly heroic GOAL by @OfficialCorkGAA's Mark Keane in the dying seconds of extra time to win the game for the side!! pic.twitter.com/eyBrnBJ67z

— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 8, 2020

https://twitter.com/officialgaa/status/1325505361416237058

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/2019-provisional-allianz-football-league-fixtures/

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/2019-provisional-allianz-football-league-fixtures/

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After their famous win over Monaghan, Cavan returned to action against Antrim last weekend. Initially they made the game hard work for themselves. Antrim were well set-up defensively. But, even when Cavan got a look at goal they were slow to take their chances. 6 wides in the first half saw them enter the break a point down.

Antrim stuck to their system in the second half, showing great discipline. In the third quarter they threatened to steal a goal that would leave Cavan with a lot of work to do. But, Ray Galligan came to Cavan’s rescue again.

Then, in the final stages Antrim finally ran out of steam. Cavan showed the benefit of having already played a Championship game and they finished strongly. After leaving it late twice now, Mickey Graham will be keen to get his team off the mark quickly in the semi-final.

Meanwhile, Down came up against a similarly stubborn Fermanagh team. Both teams adopted big defensive blocks in this fixture and the scoreline was evidence of this. Goals were never really on offer in the first half and long-range shooting proved beneficial. There was never more than one between the teams as Down went into the break 0-7 vs 0-6.

There was always a sense that one goal could open the game up. Caolan Mooney was the one to offer up such a chance. After a bursting run he left the Fermanagh defence stretched. As a result, Daniel McGuinness found space at the back post and palmed it into the empty net.

Fermanagh had no reply from there and Down’s forwards continued to tack on the scores. Barry O’Hagan scored 0-4 from play in an impressive display that will leave him full of confidence.

The experience of winter Championship aided Cavan in their last game. However, they now enter their fifth game in five weeks. With heavy ground under foot, fatigue may play a part, especially after going for more than 90 minutes against Monaghan.

Otherwise, Down are fresh and ready to take on Graham’s men. Their strong finish against Fermanagh was an excellent display of their firepower. At the same time, they showed great patience and discipline to break down a stout Fermanagh defence.

The game is live on BBC Northern Ireland.

Down are 4/6 favourites with Paddy Power. Cavan are the opposite at 6/4 and a draw is 15/2.

Prediction: Down. Cavan proved capable of providing an upset already and have been underestimated in Ulster before. But, five games in five weeks is a lot in these circumstances and Down may just have the extra legs coming down the stretch.

Facts and Figures

This will be their first Ulster championship meeting since 2007 when Down won a prelimi nary round tie by four points. They met in the All-Ireland qualifiers two years ago when  Cavan won by two points. 

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES 

2018: Cavan 1-14 Down 0-15 (Qualifier Round 2) 

2007: Down 0-15 Cavan 0-11 – Replay (Ulster preliminary round) 

2007: Down 3-8 Cavan 2-11 – Draw (Ulster preliminary round) 

2006: Down 1-13 Cavan 0-11 (Ulster preliminary round) 

2004: Cavan 3-13 Down 2-12 – Replay (Ulster quarter-final) 

*Cavan beat Monaghan (2-15 to 1-17 after extra-time) and Antrim (0-13 to 0-9) to reach the semi-final. Down beat Fermanagh by 1-15 to 0-11. 

*Cavan, who lost to Donegal in last year’s Ulster final, are bidding to reach the final in suc cessive years for the first time since 1968-69. 

*Down were last in the Ulster final in 2017. They haven’t won the title since 1994 while Cavan’s last success was in 1997. 

Ulster Championship Semi-Final: Cavan vs Down, Sunday, 15th November, 13:30 (Athletic Grounds). 

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/5-biggest-gaa-shocks-this-century/

What a weekend of #GAA SFC action! Take a look at the highlights in this #GAANOW Football Weekend Round-Up. pic.twitter.com/VAZMtkJNIk

— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 10, 2020

https://twitter.com/officialgaa/status/1326169742336356352

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It hasn’t been plain sailing for Fermanagh since football returned from its extended absence. Ryan McMenamin’s team were hit with Covid-19 before the League resumed. As a result, a weakened side travelled to Clare where they failed to get a result. Then, Laois beat them in the final round to cement their place at the bottom of Division 2.

Last weekend, the break from action allowed McMenamin a chance to take stock. His players will benefit from the chance to recover after a hectic schedule. When they take to the field on Sunday they will relish the opportunity to remind everyone why they can compete in Ulster. Two years ago they made it to the final. Now, a favourable draw will have Fermanagh tails up.

On the other hand, Down were last in the Ulster final in 2017. But, the last two years haven’t seen the same success.

Like Fermanagh, Down’s return to action hasn’t exactly gone to plan. Firstly, they were awarded a walkover when Leitrim conceded there League game. Paddy Tally would have preferred the game in order to dust off cobwebs. However, it proved to be an important two points for Down. The following week they lost to Louth and still managed to earn promotion.

Sunday’s game is sure to be a nervy one as neither team really knows what to expect going in. In addition, a loss ends the season so Fermanagh and Down will both be cautious about leaving themselves open.

Down are 8/13 favourites to win the game with Paddy Power. Otherwise, Fermanagh are 7/4 and a draw is 13/2.

BBC Northern Ireland are broadcasting the game.

Prediction: Down.

Team News

Down : Rory Burns; Peter Fegan, Patrick Murdock, Pierce Laverty; Gerard Collins, Kevin McKernan, Daniel Guinness; Caolan Mooney, Johnny Flynn; Conor Poland, Paul Devlin, Barry O’Hagan; Jerome Johnston, Donal O’Hare, Ceilum Doherty.

Fermanagh : Sean McNally; Jonny Cassidy, Kane Connor, Luke Flanagan; Josh Largo Ellis, James McMahon, Cian McManus; Ryan Jones, Eoin Donnelly; Ciaran Corrigan, Darragh McGurn, Aidan Breen; Stephen McGullion, Tomas Corrigan, Declan McCusker.

Subs: James McGrath, Kevin McDonnell, Danny Teague, Conall Jones, Richard O’Callaghan, Paul McCusker, Eddie Courtney, Ruairi Corrigan, Sean Cassidy, Ryan Breen, Lorcan McStravick.

Ulster Championship Quarter-Final: Fermanagh vs Down, Sunday, November 8th, 13:30 (Brewster Park).

Here are the @PwCIreland GAA/GPA Football Player of the Month nominees for October! #PwCAllStars

Who would you vote for?

Congratulations to @RoscommonGAA's Enda Smith, @TyroneGAALive's Conor McKenna and @Kerry_Official's Gavin White! pic.twitter.com/U50yDLGxLi

— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 3, 2020

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/who-is-dublins-next-breakout-star/

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/who-is-dublins-next-breakout-star/

https://twitter.com/officialgaa/status/1323655879254749186

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Louth started well against Cork. However, the rebels are a class above everyone in the division and once they found their stride Louth had no reply.

Yet, 0-16 is a promising tally to take them forward. They begin their Championship against Longford on November 1st. As a result, with nothing to gain from the Down game Wayne Kierans may experiment this weekend.

Whereas Paddy Tally has not seen his team in competitive action at all yet. He would have no doubt preferred to play against Leitrim.

Team News

Patrick Reilly and Emmet Coralan saw the line for Louth in the closing stages last weekend. Kierans will be expecting a more disciplined outing from his side this time out.

Meanwhile, Down have just the one game to get their team right before Championship. So, Tally will be keen his strongest possible combinations and will try as many things as he can in the 70 minutes.

Prediction: Down. They need to hit the ground running and with promotion on the line we expect them to do so. Louth are already bound for Division 4 and this will be more about pride for them.

Louth vs Down: Division 3, Sunday, October 25th, 2pm (Dundalk).

GAANOW have the highlights from last weekend's #AllianzLeagues Football action. Watch the round-up here! pic.twitter.com/HlRQePTUVZ

— The GAA (@officialgaa) October 20, 2020

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/gaa-league-division-3-how-table-stands-for-promotion-and-relegation/

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/gaa-league-division-3-how-table-stands-for-promotion-and-relegation/

https://twitter.com/officialgaa/status/1318509012535644160

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Allianz Football Division 3 round 6
Down v Leitrim, Newry, 4pm Preview and live score commentary

Team News
Down (v Leitrim): Rory Burns; Gerard Collins, Patrick Murdock, Ryan McAleenan; Daniel Guinness, Peter Fegan, Stephen Fegan; Johnny Flynn, Conor Poland; Barry O’Hagan, Caolan Mooney, Liam Kerr; Ceilum Doherty, Jerome Johnston, Donal O’Hare.

The Mourne men are currently in second. But, only points difference sets them apart from third place Longford. On the other side, Cork are three points clear at the top meaning it will be a huge task to usurp them. The Rebels were the only team to defeat Down before the lockdown. With that in mind, Down would have been frustrated when their momentum was forced to take a seven-month sabbatical.

On the other hand, the suspension of inter-county football gave Leitrim a chance to take stock ahead of the remaining two League games. A draw on the opening weekend against Derry and a win over Louth in round five is their only source of points so far. Tipperary share their record and the two sides face each other in the final round. As a result, that game could condemn either team to relegation. Therefore, Leitrim need a good showing against Down to avoid an immediate return to Division 4.

Leitrim begin their Championship on November 1st by hosting Mayo in the Connacht quarter-final. This means they need to hit the ground running in the league. In addition to this, they won’t have the luxury of experimentation that other teams may have.

Meanwhile, Down are also in their provincial quarter-final. But, they have an extra week to ready themselves before they face Fermanagh. The Ulster Championship is easily the most competitive of the four. Hence, Down won’t be afraid to throw everything at the League.

Allianz National League Division 3: Down vs Leitrim, Saturday October 17th, 4pm (Newry).

#GAA news: @SkySportsGAA Championship schedule released

— The GAA (@officialgaa) October 7, 2020

https://3.249.64.60/gaa/weekend-gaa-fixtures-results-25th-26th-27th-july-2020/

https://twitter.com/officialgaa/status/1313789219576438786

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