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Down 1-13
Clare 3-25
By Patrick
Murphy, Down GAA Hurling PRO
Down hurlers
opened their National League
campaign with an 18 point defeat by
a strong Clare team. Trailing by
1-3 to no score after just 5
minutes, Down managed only 6 points
in the first half: 3 from frees by
Gareth Johnston, two from
midfielder, Andy Savage, and one
from centre half back Paddy Hughes.
They trailed by
2-13 to 0-6 at the break and playing
against the wind in the second half,
they once more found scores hard to
come by. With 10 minutes left they
were 3-17 to 0-8 behind, but a
rousing last ten minutes saw the
forwards spring to life and they
posted 1-4 in that period.
A Martin
Coulter goal from a free set them on
their way. Substitute, Emmet
Trainor, was able to make space to
score a handful of points from play
and Johnston scored two more points
from frees.
But Clare were
sharper, fitter and stronger
throughout the field. With Barry
Nugent and Bernard Gaffney scoring
almost at will, the Clare forwards
made fine use of a constant supply
of good ball from midfield.
Eoin McGuinness
from Newry Shamrocks has a more
intermittent supply of the ball at
full forward for Down. He picked
off a fine, second-half point from
play, but Down’s forwards saw little
of the ball until the closing
stages.
Best for Down
were Paddy Hughes, Andy Savage,
Brendan McGourty and substitute
Emmet Trainor. Down’s next match is
away to Offaly in two weeks.
Down: G Clarke,
L Clarke, S Murray, C Coulter (S
Roddy, 42 min), M Ennis, P Hughes
(0-1), G Clarke, A Savage (0-2), D
Flynn, B McGourty, C Sloan (E
Trainor, 50 min, 0-2)), G Johnston
(0-7, all frees), M Coulter (1-0), E
McGuinness (0-1) E Clarke (P
Coulter, 50 min). |
