Minor Football Challenge
- Down 3-5 Rostrevor 0-9
Minor Football Challenge
- Down 3-5 Rostrevor 0-9
CHAMPS LET MINORS OFF THE HOOK
There was plenty for both sets of selectors
to mull over in the wake of Tuesdays
entertaining challenge in Burren. The
County selectors will be happy to have
come away with a win against a sideat
a much more advanced state of development
than they are themselves, and they will
be particularly pleased by the quality
of football served up by their young
charges in the opening fifteen minutes
when they built up a 1-4 to 0-2 lead
with some scintillating scores amongst
that tally.
OUTPLAYED
On the other hand, they may be concerned
by the extent to which they were outplayed
for the remaing forty-five minutes,
relying on some atrocious finishing
by the club champions to emerge with
a win at all. But they do have the time,
and the resources to address their problems.
Unlike Rostrevor, who step out in the
Ulster minor club championship in just
over three weeks time, and have only
Eddie O’Hare and Damian Magee
to add to the panel which did duty on
Tuesday evening.
FINISHING
But then Reds may not have as many problems
to work on either. Their ball-winning,
and build-up throughout the field was
of a much higher order than that of
the fledgling county side, and , in
actual fact, they ought to have won
this game quite comfortably. The main
reason why they failed to do so was
their quite atrocious finishing. The
bare statistics of eighteen wides does
not begin to paint the opicture here.
So many of those wides were of a “Would-you-believe-it”
category; 20 meter frees from straight
in front of the posts, easy openings
under no pressure continually sprurned.
And that is without counting the number
of goalmouth scrambles, the number of
times when over-elaboration left players
in tight positions outside the square
when simple pointing chances had been
passed over earlier in the move.
HOPE
But all that may not be as demoralising
as it sounds. Reds did most things right
here. They dictated the play and created
the chances. And even when the chances
were not made to count, they still maintained
control, still kept driving forward.
For a team which made it through the
county championship by dint of their
prolific goalscoring, the lesson is
clear. They have now reached the stage
where they are creating the opportunities
to score points. Take them as they arise;
the goals will undoubtedly come.
ENTERTAINING
As for the game itself, it was nothing
if not entertaining to watch. Both sides
went at it at full pace, and with a
gratifying level of skill. It looked
like being a cake-walk for the county
side when they ran up three points in
the opening three minutes, Paul Mcpolin,
Ronan McConville and darren O’hagan
the scorers. And though Reds hit back
with two points from the pacey Richie
reynolds, Down came good again. Paul
Mcpolin, the outstanding player on the
field in the first half dummied his
way through for a brilliant goal, and
was again involved in the move which
saw michael ireland get clear on the
left to make it 1-4 to 0-2. The contrast
between the sides was clear. By the
time Down had hit 1-4 off half a dozen
chances, Rostrevor had already hit seven
wides! Reds dominated the second quarter,
with Declan Magee playing great football
at midfield, but the chances continued
to be wasted. Colin Heaney saved at
the feet of Richie reynolds, then tipped
a Sean Mackin pile driver over the bar.
WIDES! WIDES! WIDES!
It was still 1-4 to 0-4 at half time,
and Rostrevor were, if anything even
more in the ascendant in the second
half as Down introduced seven half time
substitutes.In the first five minutes
of the second half they shot four more
wides, Sean Mackin had a shot charged
down and Richie reynilds blazed inches
over an inviting goal. And then, in
Downs first foray of the half, Conaire
harrison put Arthur McConville in for
a delicately chipped goal and Down were
five points clear. That is how the pattern
continued. For all their chances, Drostrevor
managed only one point from Kevin O’Kane
before Micheal Cunningham netted with
a fierce shot in the 50th minute, and
despite a plethora of opportunities,
Reds added only three more points to
their total from there until the end,
Richie Reynolds, Sean Mackin and Micheal
Mackin the scorers.
NOTEWORTHY
The minor selectors will probably be
most pleased with the defensive performances
of Redmond Hanna, David O’Hare
and Ronan McConville, but they did not
prosper at midfield, and after the departure
of Paul McPolin, much of the fizz left
the attack, where Conaire Harrison and
Micheal Cunningham impressed.
Rostrevor have more to be happy about,
finishing excepted. Shane Murney, Gareth
Clarke, Ciaran Mooney and Sean Magee
had fine games at the back, Declan Magee
was superb at midfield and Sean Mackin,
Dermot Morgan and Richie Reynolds played
some consummate football up front to
no reward.
Down scorers; Paul McPolin [1-1]; Arthur
McConville [1-0]; Micheal Cunningham
[1-0]; Ronan McConville [0-1]; Darren
O’hagan [0-1]; Michael Ireland
[0-1]; Niall Trainor [0-1].
Rostrevor scorers; Richie Reynolds [0-4];
Sean Mackin [0-2]; Christopher McConville
[0-1]; Kevin O’Kane [0-1]; Micheal
Mackin [0-1].
Down team; Colin Heaney [Newry Shamrocks];
Redmond Hanna [Burren], Padraig O’Rourke
[Burren], David O’Hare [Burren];
Ronan McConville [Annaclone], Anton
McArdle [Burren], Barry Kane [Kilcoo];
Rory McCormack [Carryduff], Keith Quinn
[Mayobridge]; Paul McPolin [Clonduff],
Conor O’Hare [Ballymartin], Michael
Ireland [Longstone]; Conaire Harrison
[Glasdrumman], Arthur McConville [Clonduff],
Darren O’hagan [Clonduff]
Subs used; Sean Armstrong [Carryduff];
Conor Quinn [Clann na Banna]; Paddy
McCambridge [Clann na Banna]; Micheal
Devlin [Kilcoo]; Micheal Cunningham
[Warrenpoint]; Niall Trainor [Warrenpoint];
Conor McCusker [Clann na Banna]
Rostrevor team; Brendan O’Hare;
Ryan McCartan, Shane Murney, Gareth
Clarke; Sean Magee, Michael Boyle, Kieran
Mooney; Declan Magee, Conor Magee; Sean
Mackin, Nicholas Mills, Micheal Mackin;
Richie Reynolds, Dermot Morgan, Christopher
McConville
