Down
U-16 Hurlers under the management of
Martin McCusker, Gerard Monan and
Stephen McAree opened their campain
with a 5-9 to 1-17 victory over
Antrim in Ballycran on Saturday
last.
Despite
fielding with a few players
unavailable, this team showed
character, heart and belief as they
were always chasing the game as a
Shane McKee lead Antrim full forward
line wreaked havoc against a Down
defence which was slow to start.
Within the opening 15 minutes the
visitors had raced into a 0-6 to 0-1
lead with only Dan Toner replying
for the home team, however Connor
Dorrian from a long range puck
deceived the defence and seen the
sliothar nestling in the corner of
the net to give his team some hope
and encouragement. As the last five
minutes of the first half approached
with Antrim leading by four points
nippy corner forward Dan Toner was
quickest to react and with the
deftest of flicks lashed the
sliothar into the net for his side’s
second goal to reduce the arrears to
a single point, each side exchanged
points in the final two minutes of
the half to leave he score 0-10 to
2-3 in favour of the Antrim lads.
Antrim
through three Michael Devlin and a
Duffin point extended the lead to
five points before the move of the
game with direct route one hurling
seen Toner once again lash the ball
into the Antrim net, Ryan Kelly in
the Down nets with pin point
accuracy found midfielder Mc Manus
who immediately flicked the sliothar
to Neil Torney and he with speed and
accuracy delivered a telling ball to
Toner for him to round his opponent
and finish the move to the net.
Whilst McKee and Carberry replied
for the Glensmen this Down team kept
persevering away with Miceal
Cunningham growing in strength and
stature scored a delightful point,
closely followed by points from
Toner and McManus. Direct from one
of the skills in the game of hurling
Miceal Cunningham scored another
Down goal to equalise the score with
some three minutes of time left to
play.
Antrim
exerted tremendous pressure in an
effort to regain the lead and from a
fortuitous free Michael Devlin
appeared to have done enough as the
30th minute approached,
but in the three minutes of
additional time added on by referee
Hassin, Toner with another goal
points along with the assurance
point from Cunningham seen the
Mourne men victorious over their
closest rivals.
This was
a well earned victory by a committed
group of players who after the
initial fifteen minutes kept
plugging away and got the result
they richly deserved.
DOWN:
R. Kelly, P. Woods (E.
Fitzgerald), B. Coleman, D. Johnson,
C. Teague, B. Toner, Capt, 0-1, J.
Smyth, M. Cunningham,1-3, D. Mc
Manus,0-2, D. Hughes, N. Torney, I.
Todd (A. Smyth), D. Toner,3-2 C.
Dorrian,1-1 C. Young. Other Down
Subs: N. Burns, M. Creighton, F.
Magee, D. Boyle.
