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Down
get first victory in four years - 09/06/03
2003
Ulster Football Championship - 1st Round
Down
v Monaghan 
@ 3.30 p.m. Casement Park, Sunday 8th June 2003
 It
was a scrappy victory for Down over Monaghan at Casement
park on Sunday but this victory in front of 21,948 fans,
Down's first in the championship in four years was worth
its weight in gold. The celebrations after the final whistle
tell you what this victory means to everyone associated
with Down football from the players and manager to the supporters.
Paddy O'Rourke's raised arms, shaking fists in the air,
players hugging each other, supporters crying - this is
what championship football is all about.
The game got off to a quick start and it
looked like Down were in severe difficulty during the opening
stages. The defence was porous and disorientated when put
on the backfoot. Colm Coyle's men were much more economical
in possession. Yet, for all Monaghan's territorial advantage,
Monaghan only scored twice from play during the first half
- Paul Finlay and defender Anthony Rooney scoring Monaghans
points. Liam Doyle scored four points to keep Down in touch.
The score at half time Monaghan 0-09 Down 0-07.
 On
the restart, Michael Walsh's scored the matchs only goal
which proved to be the game's turning point. Walsh smashed
in the priceless goal two minutes into the second session,
burying a rebound to the back of the net. Once Down got
their noses in front, they were not going to let go. Down
look a different team by this stage and what every O'Rourke
said or give his team at half time seemed to have done the
trick. Within three minutes of the restart Down had overturned
the two-point deficit and established a two-point advantage.
Benny Coulter set up Michael Walsh's 36th goal and moments
later found John Lavery with a superb cross-field pass and
the An Riocht man duly pointed his second score of the day.
At midfield, Castlewellan's Greg McCartan, an All star in
1994 was in back to his old form, while Sean Ward and Colm
McCrickard showed great industry. Down then went a mammoth
19-minutes without scoring. During this period Monaghan
had the winning of the game, but they squandered an awful
lot of good chances. Raymond Ronaghan and Finlay grabbed
scores for Monaghan on the 44th and 56th minutes respectively,
but it was scant reward for the amount of possession they
enjoyed.
 Down
lifted their game in the closing stages and were able to
secure the crucial scores which would win them the game.
Wonderful points from Ballyhollands Ronan Murtagh and 1991
and 94 star James McCartan ensured that Down's four-year
stint without a championship win had come to an end. Wee
James had only came on minutes earlier when wide out on
the left he was given the ball and without thinking twice
the former All Star kicked the ball over the bar on the
62nd minute.
It was fitting that Gregory McCartan got
the last score of the game. Paddy O'Rourke after the game
stated that "Goals are always so crucial, we got one, we
should have had another one. We made hard work of the one
that we did get, but we were just happy to see it going
into the back of the net".
 Yesterday
was a long time coming for Down followers who have endured
a bad time of it, without seeing the county win either at
senior or U21 level in four years. Six of this team experienced
Championship success for the first time. Next up for Down
is Fermanagh in the semi-final on June 22.
DOWN - M McVeigh; J Clarke, B Burns, B
Grant; J Lavery (0-02), A Molloy, M Cole; S Ward, G McCartan
(0-03, f, 50); L Doyle (0-04, 3fs), B Coulter, C McCrickard
(0-01); M Walsh(1-00), D Gordon, R Murtagh (0-01).
Subs: Sexton for McCrickard 57 mins, J McCartan (0-01) for
D Gordon 59 mins
MONAGHAN - G Murphy: A Rooney (0-01), D
McKenna, P McKenna; D Duffy, J Coyle, JP Mone; E Lennon,
J Hughes (0-01); N Corrigan, T Freeman (0-01), P Finlay
(0-07, 5fs); M Slowey (0-01), R Ronaghan(0-01), D Freeman
Subs: K Tavey for Corrigan 48 mins, R Woods (0-01) for Slowey,
D McDermott for Hughes 69 mins
Match Stats:
| |
Down |
Monaghan |
| |
1st Half |
2nd Half |
Total |
1st Half |
2nd Half |
Total |
| Goals |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Points |
7 |
5 |
12 |
9 |
4 |
13 |
| Wides |
6 |
6 |
12 |
2 |
8 |
10 |
| Frees For |
10 |
8 |
18 |
10 |
8 |
18 |
| Frees Against |
10 |
8 |
18 |
10 |
8 |
18 |
| 65s |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Yellow Cards |
2 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Red Cards |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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