Down and Westmeath unable to be separated as promotion race continues
TUSSLE: Ceilum Doherty of Down with Luke Loughlin of Westmeath. Pic: James Lawlor, Inpho
Madcap stuff for a finish up in Mullingar and a result that means the NFL Division 3 promotion race will go all the way until the final round of games next weekend.
A win would have secured Westmeath's return to the second tier and they pushed hard for that in a frenetic final few minutes, fighting back from a four-point deficit after Daniel Guinness' third quarter goal for Down to level terms twice in the closing stages.
Both sides threw the kitchen sink at it in stoppage time and one wondered how referee James Molloy didn't call for a number of frees as the tackles flew in.
When he did actually blow his whistle, for full-time, a minor melee was in full flow behind him with a couple of players wrestling on the ground.
The draw was just about the right result in the end and the point each means that Down and Westmeath both head into Round 7 on 11 points, with Clare one back on 10.
Crucially, Down will host Clare in Newry next weekend while Westmeath will travel to Markievicz Park to play Sligo.
Down defender Ryan McEvoy hit what ultimately proved to be the levelling score here, a fine point from distance off his left foot after a tidy solo run up the centre of the field.
Pat Havern and Robbie Forde, the respective free-takers, top-scored with four points each in a game that only really burst into life in the second-half.
Westmeath, still missing the injured John Heslin, made three changes from the Round 5 win over Antrim, drafting in experienced trio James Dolan, Kieran Martin and Luke Loughlin.
Charlie Drumm, Ronan Wallace and Senan Baker dropped out of the team while Down recalled Odhran Murdock and Niall McParland for the midlands encounter.
Ryan Magill and Johnny Flynn were the players to make way though Down still began as favourites to record their sixth straight win.
They began as the division's top scorers with a +46 scoring difference though only recorded four first-half points.
Pat Havern, who wore number 14 but lined up at midfield alongside Odhran Murdock, scored two of Down's points.
They were playing with the stiff wind but blasted half a dozen wides and must have wondered if the profligacy would come back to haunt them.
Jonathan Lynam, Robbie Forde and James Dolan were Westmeath's scorers in the first-half.
The second-half was an altogether better affair with Down taking a firm hold on proceedings when Guinness netted in the 43rd minute.
That left last season's Tailteann Cup finalists 1-5 to 0-4 ahead though Westmeath scores from Ronan O'Toole, Forde and Loughlin indicated that the hosts weren't about to toss the towel in.
It continued in that back-and-forth vein throughout the closing quarter with the sides level on three different occasions.
R Forde (0-4, 0-2 frees), L Loughlin (0-3, 2 frees), J Lynam (0-1), J Dolan (0-1), R O'Toole (0-1), K Martin (0-1), M Whittaker (0-1), R Connellan (0-1).
P Havern (0-4, 3 frees), D Guinness (1-0), J Guinness (0-1), D Magill (0-1), C Doherty (0-1), O Murdock (0-1), R Johnston (0-1), R McEvoy (0-1).
J Daly; J Dolan, D Scahill, K Maguire; S McCartan, D Lynch, N Harte; A McCormack, R Connellan; R O'Toole, J Lynam, C Dillon; L Loughlin, K Martin, D McCartan.
R Forde for McCartan (5); M Whittaker for Lynam (h/t); E Mulvihill for Dillon (50); S Smith for Martin (64); S Allen for Harte (69).
J O'Hare; M Rooney, P Laverty, R McEvoy; D Magill, P Fegan, D Guinness; P Havern, O Murdock; N McParland, J Guinness, C Doherty; L Kerr, R Johnston, C Mooney.
A Gilmore for Mooney (42); S Annett for J Guinness (46); C Francis for D Magill (58); R Mason for Johnston (69).
J Molloy (Galway).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
