South Down got
off to a poor start in their first ever National
Hurling League Campaign when they were pushed
aside by a more robust and physically stronger
Monaghan in Clones.
The Down men
played well below their potential and they never
showed the rhythm or hurling skills which earned
them their place at national level.
Monaghan started
strongly and had three points on the board before
John Murphy opened the Down scoring with a well-taken
free from 70 yards. Monaghan added a goal before
a 65 was dropped into the square for Jonathan
McCusker to drive to the net.
McCusker then
scored a point from a free and another from
play to leave Down trailing by 2-5 to 1-3 at
half time.
The second half
was much more evenly contested as the Mourne
men began to adjust to the pace of the game.
The introduction of team captain, Daniel McCusker,
added some leadership at the beginning of the
second half. They contested possession more
physically than they had done in the first half
Ciaran Sloan’s
sending off, for venting his anger on a sideline
flag, handed the ascendancy back to Monaghan.
In spite of this the introduction of fresh legs
through Warrenpoint duo of Maxwell and Higgins
gave more urgency to a team which generally
appeared slower to the ball.
Goals from McCusker
and Artie McGuinness left Down trailing by just
three points with five minutes left. With greater
confidence they could have gone ahead in the
last ten minutes. But a Monaghan point in injury
time ended Down’s hopes of snatching even
a draw.
Overall this
Down team can play much better. Last year their
desire to enter this competition drove them
on to some excellent displays in the Leinster
Shield. The players have trained very hard for
the League this season. From this match they
learned that at inter-county level hard work
in training counts for nothing if the team’s
desire to win is not 100% on the day.
Down: Gary McMullan, Niall Conway, Brian McAleenan,
Paul McCusker (Alan Higgins, 50), James McGrath,
Colm O’Neill, John Brown, Daniel Doran,
John Murphy, Thomas Jennings (Daniel McCusker
45), Ciaran Sloan (sent off), David McGovern
(Karl Maxwell 50), Jonathan McCusker, Artie
McGuinness (1-0), Eoin McGuinness.
