BY RONAN SCOTT

r.scott@gaeliclife.com

Down's star forward Benny Coulter is certain that he will start against Leitrim in Carrick on Shannon on Sunday (2.30pm) even though he admits that he still hasn't fully recovered from his ankle injury.

Whether Coulter starts or not is down to the management team of Ross Carr and DJ Kane. Although there is little doubt that if he is available he will play, as Down need his scores to win their next three games if they are to have any hope of gaining promotion.

Considering that Down won the Dr McKenna Cup, recent form has been disappointing. Their loss to Wexford has thrown their promotion plans into jeopardy. Now, with games against Leitrim, Limerick and Fermanagh left, it is crunch time for Down.

"Of course it would be bad if we didn't gain promotion because if we were to get relegated into Division four then we go straight into the Tommy Murphy Cup. If that had have happened it would have been a disaster for Down football," said Coulter.

"If we get into Division two that takes a lot of pressure off."

It is a big challenge for Down since Fermanagh have yet to drop points in Division three, while Wexford have only dropped one. Down need either of those sides to drop two points in one of their last two games, and since the two teams play each other on Sunday that is almost a certainty. Yet Coulter was adamant that Down must keep their own house in order first.

"It's tight enough now and the way we have to look at it is that we must win all three games. If we lose any of those matches it's more or less over for us," he said.

In his last game out, against Longford three weeks ago, Coulter came on in the second half and scored five points to help his team win the game 0-19 to 0-16.

In the aftermath Ross Carr praised Coulter for his work rate, but the Mayobridge forward admitted that he is not fully fit.

"I think I came on and did rightly," he said. "Although I wouldn't be there just yet. The rest of the team are a month or two ahead of me in terms of match fitness."

Therefore, it may appear to be a gamble playing Coulter. He's a proven score getter for Down but since he is still not fully fit, and not completely recovered from the ankle ligament injury that he incurred in October of last year during a club match, the amount of time he can play is limited. There is also a danger that he could further exacerbate his injury.

However, Coulter believes that the Down team have progressed well without him.

"They have been doing brilliantly. I watched them in the McKenna Cup and they were playing some good stuff," he said.

However, he still admitted that he expects to start on Sunday.

"I don't know much about Leitrim but I think we should win and I expect to play," he said.