Down hero Adam Crimmins' last-gasp score boosted the Mourne County's survival hopes as they edged a now relegated Westmeath 1-26 to 0-28 in a Páirc Esler thriller.
This was a meeting of two sides who felt aggrieved by results to date, especially from their Round 5 clashes, when Down were denied a levelling two-pointer from Pat Havern against Cavan that they were convinced was over while Westmeath had their own controversy with Meath’s goal on the hooter from Conor Duke to cost them the win.
That provided motivation for both as they battled in Newry with neither side willing to accept defeat – and in the end it took the young Mayobridge man to break the visitors’ resistance and give Conor Laverty’s side more than a fighting chance of staying in the second tier. For Westmeath, their race is run, with their final game against Roscommon offering no route of escape.
The hosts were off the mark within a minute as Kilcoo’s Miceal Rooney pointed.
Two-pointers would be an avenue Westmeath found joy in and Luke Loughlin got their first before Havern levelled matters.
Robbie Forde and Loughlin, from a free, put Dermot McCabe’s side 0-04 to 0-02 ahead after 11 minutes, and the gap was out to three when Brian Cooney got off the mark.
Havern and Loughlin, from a free, exchanged scores before Carryduff’s John McGeough, a late addition to the starting team, rounded off a fine team move by palming home to level matters in the 17th minute.
McGeough put his side ahead a minute later before Loughlin landed another free and that was followed by a Cooney score from outside the arc to leave Westmeath 0-09 to 1-04 ahead after 21 minutes.
Havern, a two-point specialist, hit his latest and the same player scored a free to move Down back in front before Ryan McEvoy came forward to put two between them, 1-08 to 0-09.
Forde and Matthew Whittaker levelled it up once more and fittingly, it was level at the break, 1-10 to 0-13, as Havern and Odhran Murdock had scores cancelled out by Whittaker and Loughlin.
It was an end-to-end first half and the second provided more of the same.
Rooney again opened Down’s scoring, responding to a Sam McCartan effort, before Ronan Wallace, Forde and Danny McCartan gave Westmeath a three-point cushion.
Down replied with three of their own, Murdock’s point coming from a fine Conor McCormack save, and it was 1-14 to 0-17 after 49 minutes.
Back and forth it went, Danny McCartan and Cooney swapping scores with Shay Millar and Daniel Guinness before Millar grabbed another when it very well could have been a goal.
Scores from Wallace and Loughlin were met with a couple of Down two-pointers – no surprise to see Havern involved – leaving it 1-21 to 0-21 to Laverty’s side with five minutes remaining.
Westmeath’s response was excellent, Forde and Loughlin, from outside the arc, levelling matters once again.
Westmeath responded to Havern’s latest two-pointer to level the game up and that’s how it appeared it would end as the clock counted down the seconds.
However, there was still time for once last play and it was Crimmins who fisted over to send the home fans into raptures – and the visitors facing an instant return to Division 3.
KEY: tp - two-point score; tpf - two-point free; tpm - two-point mark
Down scorers: M Rooney 0-02, P Havern 0-14 (3f, 1 2tpf, 3tp), J McGeough 1-01, R McEvoy 0-01, O Murdock 0-02, S Millar 0-03, D Guinness 0-01, A Crimmins 0-02.
Westmeath scorers: L Loughlin 0-09 (4f, 2 2tpf ), R Forde 0-06 (1f), B Cooney 0-06 (2 tp), M Whittaker 0-02, S McCartan 0-01, R Wallace 0-02, D McCartan 0-02, J Guinness 0-01.
Down: Ronan Burns; Peter Fegan, Pierce Laverty, Ceilum Doherty; Ruairí McCormack, Daniel Guinness, Patrick McCarthy; Miceal Rooney, Ryan McEvoy; Aaron McClements, Odhran Murdock, James Guinness; Donal Scullion, Pat Havern, John McGeough.
Subs: Adam Crimmins for Scullion (h-t), Danny Magill for McCormack (44), Eugene Branagan for J Guinness (44), Shay Millar for McGeough (51), Caolan Mooney for McClements (60).
Westmeath: Conor McCormack; Jamie Gonoud, Jack Geoghegan, Conor Dillon; Stephen Smith, Ronan Wallace, Sam McCartan; Ray Connellan, Fionn O'Hara; Danny McCartan, Brían Cooney, Matthew Whittaker; Robbie Forde, Luke Loughlin, Brandon Kelly.
Subs: Joe Moran for O’Hara (inj., 28), Enda Gaffney for Smith (h-t), David Giles for Geoghegan (inj., 37), Kieran Martin for Kelly (51), Nigel Harte for Gaffney (68).
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare).
