All Ireland Masters: Down 1 8, Carlow 1 8
This all ireland masters quarter final game
was played in Burren last saturday before
the Longstone v Leitrim championship replay
under a constant drizzel which made good football
very hard to play but never the less both
teams showed lots of passion and spells of
excellent football. Carlow were first out
of the traps leading 0 3 after 15 minuets
before Down had their first point by Micky
Linden followed by points by Sean Devlin and
Roby Coulter but the play swung back to Carlows
favour with 2 points before mickey linden
pointed again leaving the 1/2 time score Carlow
0 5 Down 0 4.
At the break there were a few soft shoe shuffels
which seen Ross Carr and Brendan Mc Kernan
switch poisitions from centre half back to
midfield and Peter Withnal leaving midfield
going up to the forward line helping to take
the pressure off Micky linden and Roby Coulter
who were being double marked. After 10 minuets
Down were on level terms with a point by Roby
Coulter and threatning at last to prove their
superiority but this excelent Carlow team
just would not let them scoring a goal against
the run of play after a missed placed pass
went straight to their very nippy right half
forward who made no mistake leaving the Down
defence stranded.
Down had to respond and with Brendan Mc Kernan
making his pressence felt at midfield they
reclaimed their composoer and after a beautiful
move from the middle of the field Mickey Linden
set his clubmate up for a goal with only the
keeper to beat but Roby was being tackeled
and losing his ballance when sending his piledriver
a fraction wide with the keeper well beaten,
how ever this was the spark that they needed
and a few minuets later Micky Linden sent
a ball in from the right wing which was received
by Peter Withnal who finished to the net.
Still Carlow came back and took their last
score, a point which left them leading again
by this solitary score and just a few minuets
to go but then the ball was worked to Ross
Carr on the 45 yard mark on the left wing
and the second it left his boot you knew it
was going to sail over the bar which was the
deserving equalizing point and so brought
to an end a game which they will soon forget
and will be looking forward to the replay
in Eire Og's ground in Carlow next sunday
at 2 o clock (prov).
The boys know they didnt do them selves justice
under the slippery condition and will be determined
to improve for the replay. Carlow hardly put
a foot wrong the whole game mastering the
same contitions far better than Down but still
could only get a draw out of it while we have
acres of room to improve and definitly will.
Gerome Mc Crikard, Eamon O Rourke, Paddy Hardy,
Paul Higgins and Barney Roberts all tried
hard in a team which was Downs strongest panel
in a few years. Remaining players in Downs
lineout were Garvin Bradly, Sean Mcrory, John
Heenan.
Terry O Higgins, John Donnelly, Donal Ward,
Audy Mc Veigh, Colie Pyres, Micky Mc Keown,
Jude Savage, Eamon Quinn, Dermot Magorrian,
Sean Mageon
