Casement losers will face another big test - 06/06/03

By John Campbell email: jcampbell@belfasttelegraph.co.uk - Belfast Telegraph

THE draw for the first round of the All Ireland Qualifiers provided the perfect incentive for both Down and Monaghan to come out on top in their Casement Park clash on Sunday. The losers are due to meet the losers of the Meath v Westmeath replay - and neither Paddy O'Rourke nor Colm Coyle will relish that prospect.

The standard of play in last Sunday's drawn game at Croke Park was superior to anything witnessed to date in the Ulster championship. And the second meeting of the Leinster rivals in Portloaise tomorrow (7pm) is expected to provide a nother feast of thrills laced with high drama. Monaghan may have beaten Armagh and Down are high on ambition but Meath or Westmeath would represent a huge barrier to either of the two Ulster sides. Monaghan played Meath in a challenge match just recently and found it a useful exercise, according to manager Coyle.

But confronting Meath in the sudden-death environment of an All Ireland qualifying test would be an entirely different matter. Down edged out Meath by one point when the sides met in the league on April 6 but that outing, too, now bears little relation to the championship scene. With the qualifier scheduled for tomorrow week, Sunday's losers will not have much time to draw their breath. Only consolation is that the Ulster side will have home advantage.

The venue and time for the match will be fixed by the Games Administration Committee when the outcome of this weekend's games are known.

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