Back Left: - Artie McGuiness, Declan Ennis, Colm McManus, Greg Hughes,
Emmett Trainor, Jerome Trainor, Stephen Murray, Paddy Hughes, Ciaran Courtney, Gabriel Clarke, John Murphy, Michael Ennis, Andy Bell.

Front Left: - Ruari McGratten, Paddy Coulter, Gareth Johnston, Aaron Dynes,
Liam Clarke, Brendan McGourty, Eoin Clarke, Graham Clarke,
Fintan Conway, Andy Savage

Down 5-16      Derry 1-14

Down ran out 14 point winners over Derry in Casement Park in the Ulster Championship replay on Saturday.  Derry approached the match with the same game plan as the previous week but Down changed theirs. Derry dominated the first 10 mins and worked hard for their first 3 points, 2 from Ruari Convery frees.

Isolating Gareth Johston at full forward with Derry’s Michael Conway was key to the Down victory.  Johston got little ball but made it count.  He opened Down’s account in the 11th minute by rounding Conway and shooting past Joe McEldowney in the Derry goal. 

Derry again dominated play and again took a 3 point lead.  Johnston replied with a point before  Eoin Clarke dispossessed the Derry keeper for Down’s second goal.  A shell shocked Derry had dominated the first 20 minutes and found themselves a point behind. 

Kieran Courtney stretched Down’s lead in the 21 minute with a point before Johnston’s outstanding 2^nd goal gave Down a 5 point lead.  ~Despite being outplayed for much of the first half Down led well at the break 3-5 to 0-8.

Derry returned to the field a determined team in the second half.  Ruari Convery sent a free to the Down net after 2 minutes and added a point from a free a minute later.  With the score 3-7 to 1-9 Derry were very much back in the game.

Down then replaced No 6 Aaron Dynes, who had played well, with Paddy Hughes, who was simply fantastic.  For the next 10 minutes Derry never got the ball through the Down half back line.  Down on the other hand ran riot.  Points for Johnston, Emmett Trainor  and 2 from Mc Gourty were followed in the 18^th minute by another Johnston goal and a Paddy Coulter point.  Eoin Clarke then hit the net again with 15 minutes remaining.  Down had hit 2-5 with out reply.

With the game effectively over the teams exchanged points to leave the final score Down 5-16  and Derry 1-14. 

Down face Antrim next Sunday in the Ulster final at Casement Park.

Down Scorers G Johnston 3-5, Eoin Clarke 2-2, K Courtney 0-4, B Mc Gourty 0-3, E Trainor 0-1, P Coulter 0-1.

 
Eoin Clarke scrambles the ball over the line for Down’s second goal