Luke Loughlin made an earlier-than-expected return from the injury which saw him miss out on Westmeath’s surprise Leinster SFC triumph for his club The Downs at the weekend.

There were fears that the sharpshooter wouldn’t play again this year after suffering a Grade 4 hamstring tear and tendon rupture in Westmeath’s Leinster SFC quarter-final victory over Meath at the end of April. He missed the rest of the Lake County’s successful campaign after undergoing surgery.

But on Saturday evening in TEG Cusack Park, Loughlin came off the bench at half-time to kick two two-pointers and set up a goal for Niall Mitchell as The Downs came from 0-5 to 1-7 behind at half-time to earn a 1-13 apiece draw with neighbours Coralstown/Kinnegad in a repeat of last year’s Flanagan Cup decider.

Elsewhere, Garrycastle edged out Caulry by 2-10 to 1-12, Moate All-Whites outgunned Athlone by 4-15 to 4-10, newly-promoted Tubberclair hammered Tyrrellspass by 3-20 to 0-12, Killucan trumped Tang 4-12 to 1-10, while Mullingar Shamrocks came from 0-6 to 1-9 down at the break to earn a 2-11 to 1-14 draw with town rivals St Loman’s last night.

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