Latest news with #DownGAA
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Down edge Louth for second All-Ireland group stage win
Down made it two wins from two in the group stage of the All-Ireland series as they survived a late Louth fightback to win 0-25 to 0-24 at Pairc a delayed start to the game in Newry, Odhran Murdock kicked a fine two pointer a minute into the game to set Conor Laverty's men on their added two more points before a free from Sam Mulroy got Louth on the board after eight two-pointers from Danny Magill and Murdock further stretched Down's lead and they eventually moved nine clear before Niall McDonnell was thwarted by Ryan McEvoy in front of rattled off four points in a row to cut the gap, but a late scoring blitz helped Down to lead 0-16 to 0-7 at two-pointer and another effort from Mulroy helped the Leinster champions to chip away at Down's lead, reducing it to six points, but three in a row from the hosts helped them to re-establish their McKenny hit the post for Louth with Mulroy, Craig Lennon and Tommy Durnin scoring three straight two-pointers for the visitors as they moved to within three points of the had the momentum and got back to within one, before Mulroy's attempt after the hooter was blocked as Down held on for a narrow comfortably dispatched Clare in their first game, the Mournemen are in a commanding position ahead of facing Monaghan at a neutral venue in the final round of group games in a fortnight.
Irish Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Meet the Ireland star inspired by Katie McCabe's rags to riches story
There is not one footballer who hasn't experienced a sliding doors moment, one door opening the way to a disaster, the other to a Champions League final. For Katie McCabe, her career-changing incident happened eight years ago when a loan move to Glasgow City reminded her of everything she had but showed her everything that could be lost. Now look at her, the fourth Irish woman to win a Champions League, and just the 14th Irish player in all to pocket the most coveted medal in club football. Marissa Sheva has stood at that crossroads junction, too. Read more: Former Down GAA star and Irish Cup winner has message for fans after joining Shamrock Rovers 'Yeah, you've just given me goosebumps thinking about what Katie achieved,' Sheva, McCabe's fellow Irish international said. 'I can't even imagine how she feels. I don't think it's sunk into the rest of us as winning the Champions League is one of the top things you can do. "It's just incredible. She's proven herself on the biggest stages in the world now. 'And we're excited for her. Hopefully she has many, many more opportunities to make it back to the Champions League final, and I don't doubt for a second that she'll be back many times. I hope she's celebrating hard right now.' Yet Sheva is also drinking the moment in. The Sunderland and Ireland midfielder said: 'It gives the whole team confidence to be able to say we play with Katie. I would never put myself on Katie McCabe's level but just knowing we get to train with her, we get to see just how she operates pretty consistently should give all of us confidence. We can all strive for a little bit more.' From the start, she has never settled for being ordinary, making her way initially through athletics where she was a champion middle distance runner, before she won a football scholarship to Penn State university. Success followed there too - a NCAA title being the highest prize any college athlete could hope for in the United States. That said, college football has a short shelf-life as well as being amateur, and when she was 21, Sheva knew she had to make the right decision: get into the rat race or follow the dream. It was an easy choice. Moves to Deportivo La Coruna, Utah, Washington and Portland followed but the option of transferring to Sunderland in March was too good to turn down, getting her closer to home and within Irish boss, Carla Ward's, sights. Thirteen times she has been capped by Ireland under three different managers, Vera Pauw, Eileen Gleeson and Ward and it's only now she is beginning to feel confident in her surroundings, which is often the case with footballers who break through late. Sheva says: 'Carla's style of play fits mine. 'She's been very helpful with specific things about my game; Carla is seeking me to turn forward and drive with the ball, to be more confident. 'It's crazy just how her bringing that to my attention has made such a huge difference. I'm nowhere near a complete midfielder so I'm willing to take any and all information she has to give me. 'Composure is something that every midfielder kind of aspires to have. I look at someone like Denise O'Sullivan who is a complete midfielder, tactically aware, and one of the best technical players I have played with. I am just kind of trying to be more like Denise.' She gets her chance to continue her impersonation of O'Sullivan - who is arguably on McCabe's level in terms of quality if not profile - when Ireland face Turkey and then Slovenia over the next week. Currently second in their Nations League group, behind Slovenia, Ireland need two wins to have any chance of topping their group and earning promotion to the top tier. A visit to the play-offs is likelier. But Sheva says: 'We have a lot of work to do. We need to beat Turkey and then need to handily beat Slovenia. "If that doesn't happen, there are play-offs, a bunch of things that would have to happen for us to potentially get back into group A. "We are not even thinking about that, we just know that we have a lot of work on our hands here and it starts in Turkey (on Friday). That's our first goal, beat Turkey and get back to Cork and prepare for Slovenia.'
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Down must expect 'dogfight' in All-Ireland opener
Former Down defender Kevin McKernan says the county must expect to be drawn into a "dogfight" in Saturday's All-Ireland round-robin opener against Clare in Ennis (14:00 BST).The Mournemen won the 2024 Tailteann Cup to earn a spot in this year's Sam Maguire series. Conor Laverty's side are coming off an Ulster semi-final loss to Donegal after suffering relegation from Division Two earlier this year, while Clare lost the Munster final to Kerry after missing out on promotion from the third-tier of the National League. "It's a home game for Clare and they'll look at that as a serious strength but it's a huge challenge for Down," said McKernan, who started Down's 2010 All-Ireland final loss to Cork. "It's a long way to travel but when they go down there they will find a team very similar to themselves; finding themselves between Division Two and Division Three."They had a huge performance against Kerry [in the Munster final] for large periods and against a team they weren't expected to beat. "Down going to Clare - would they be expecting a win? Absolutely, but it's going to be a dogfight as well. If they can get big Pat [Havern] and Odhran [Murdock] moving with players like Pierce Laverty and Paddy McCarthy full of running from defence, the big spaces of Cusack Park will suit Down."McKernan also said his Burren club-mate Murdock has the mentality to shoulder the burden of expectation after establishing himself at senior inter-county level. "Odhran was blooded at senior level in midfield as a 19, 20-year-old and he's starting to get into his rhythm in games. "It's a big ask for someone so young but he has the right mentality. Conor and his management team have built a structure of play for the whole team, but Odhran's a huge part of that. "If Down launch themselves into this [All-Ireland series], they'll be excited to see Daniel Guinness and Odhran Murdock carry this team forward."
