Down looked a settled team against Leitrim in Round One of the Tailteann Cup
Down GAA,
Round 1, Tailteann Cup,
Pairc Esler, 16 5 26,
Final Score: Down 1-27 0-16 Laitroim.
Down have recovered well from their match against Armagh in the Ulster Championships and came out at Pair Esler and put up an excellent show against visitors Laitroim.
With their eye on the Tailteann Cup, the Down men play a solid game from the whistle controlling large parts of the game and finishing with a 14 point clearance over Liatroim.
It was Down’s Tom Close who nipped the ball over the bar to with another after Ceillum Doherty had scored 2.
Down were looking more confident and driving forward well. Liatroim’s Ryan Rourke took a point but Pat Havern had a brilliant spell and scoring a point in play then a two-pointer.
The pressure from Down was telling on Liatroim and Odhran Murdock took a point followed by a two-pointer from Down keeper Ronan Burns for a free. Down were kicking well and their passing and possession reflected a determined composure.
Gaffney and Honeyman took points for Liatroim in a fight back but Rooney cancelled that out with a point in play and Havern scoring from a free.
But in the last 10 minutes on the first half, Liatroim battled strongly and reclaimed some ground with hard-earned points from Fergal McLoughlin , and Killian Gaffney (a 2-pointer and single point).
Leitrim were keeping within reach of the Mourne men’s efforts at this stage.
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Half time score: Down 0-12 0-8 Leitrim.
But the second half belonged to Down. Guckian and Guiness exchanged points then it was game on. Micéal Rooney, Daniel Guinness and Eamon Brown took points for Down, but Liatroim’s Guckian Honeyman (2) helped keep the gap closer.
On 40 minutes, Daniel Guinness took a two pointer for Down.
Ruari McCormick, and Ceilum Dohery clawed back two points, and Pat Havern scored too then was substituted by Séamus Loughran. The game had been played at a fast pace on a hard pitch and players were beginning to feel the pressure.
Mark Diffley pulled back another point for Liatroim. But then Down gathered momentum again and started a good spell with Rooney taking a point.
Then in a fast attack, Oran Cunningham burst close to the Liatroim goal and at the crucial moment made a short pass to Ruairi McCormack who palmed the ball into the Liatroim net for a goal in the 67th minute.
Down were ten feet tall after the goal and Loughran and Brown (2) within minutes took another 3 points adding to their significant lead.
Liatroim having made substitutions were refreshed and finished with points from Guckian, McLoughlin and Kelly but it was too little too late for the visitors.
Down has won by a clear 14 points which was impressive following their heavy defeat after playing Armagh, and looked like the team that beat Donegal just a couple of weeks ago.
Pat Havern played extra well, and Daniel Guinness also attacked strongly especially in the second half lying just behind the front line. But it was the Havern and Burns two-pointers in the first half that was an important turning point, showing that Down’s kickers were in form.
Down Manager Conor Laverty will be delighted at the score, but will be preparing now for the next confrontation in the Tailteann Cup which is not a knock-out event, but based on accrued points on winning matches.
So Down could go down in one, and still win the cup. But I fancy them to have a clean sweep based on their confident performance on Saturday.
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Starting teams:
Down: 1Ronan Burns (GK) 2 Peter Fegan 3 Pierce Laverty 4 Finn McElroy. 5 Callum Rogers 6 Pearse McPolin 7 Ryan Maginn 8 Odhran Murdock 9 Daniel Guinness 10 Shane Annett 11 Ceilum Doherty 12 Micéal Rooney 13 John McGeugh 14 Pat Havern 15 Adam Crimmins.
Liatroim: 1 Killian Gaffney (GK) 2 Eanna McNamara 3 Conor Reynolds 4 Sean Harkin 5 Eoin McLoughlin 6 Mark Diffley 7 Keith Keegan 8 Conor Quinn 9 Colm McLoughlin 10 Fergal McLoughlin 11 Ben Guckian 12 Riordan O’Rourke 13 Paul Honeyman 14 Ryan O’Rourke 15 Oisin McLoughlin.
