Suzuki National League Division Two
Down 1-17 Longford 0-0
The score said it all. On their first National
League outing of the year, the Down Ladies
team outran, outfought and outscored Longford
despite gale force conditons in Saval on Sunday.
The mourne girls were expecting a tight game
after last year’s one point victory
over Longford but playing with a overpowering
wind in the first half, they amassed an unassailable
lead that Longford just couldn’t reply
to.
The early minutes of the first half were
fairly scrappy as both teams endeavoured to
come to terms with the conditions. However
once Down got their hands on the ball, they
soon showed their intentions as Emma Mulhern
intercepted a long ball from Longford on the
half back line to start Down’s first
attack. Her low pass up the left wing found
Aoibheann Downey who duly passed the ball
cross field to her sister Michaela for a point
in the fourth minute. This was swiftly followed
by a point from Saval player, Lyndsey Cunningham
who scored from twenty five yards after Natasha
Ferris dispossessed her player and led a neat
interplay with Aileen Pyers, Kyla Trainor
and Sinead Fegan. Down’s domination
of the first quarter wasn’t fully reflected
in the scoreline though until the game passed
the halfway mark. Castlewellan’s Lisa
Morgan took possession wide on the right before
beating her player and firing in a rasping
low shot across goal. While the Longford keeper
did well to parry it away, Annaclone’s
Aileen Pyers duly captured the breaking ball
and cooly fired it low to the goalkeeper’s
left for the first goal of the game. Once
the goal went in, the floodgates opened for
Down as they retained possession well before
using the strong wind and pointing from distance.
Further scores from Michaela Downey, Aileen
Pyers and Grainne McClean saw them stretch
their lead to nine points with ten minutes
of the half remaining, with encouragingly
many of these scores coming as a result of
turnovers. The mourne girls maintained their
workrate in the closing minutes with excellent
solo scores from Orla Fegan (0-1) and midfielder
Kyla Trainor (0-1), who interecepted a Longford
pass in midfield, strove forward and pointed
from in front of the posts. The last word
of the half went to Bryansford’s Natasha
Ferris (0-1) who latched on to a cross field
pass from Aileen Pyers, turned and fired over.
Half time score Down 1-13, Longford 0-0.
Given the role that the wind had played in
the first half, it was obvious that Down had
their work cut out to maintain their healthy
lead in the second period. However, the management
got the tactics spot on, as the mourne side
kept possession and worked the ball into the
Longford twenty one yard line before aiming
at the posts. This approach was exemplified
perfectly in the opening minutes as Emma Mulhern
(0-1) passed the ball low into the right hand
corner to Michaela Downey (0-5) who took her
marker on before punching over from a narrow
angle from three yards out. Down’s hand
passing served them well as Downey, Lyndsey
Cunningham and Lisa Morgan (0-1) conjured
a number of fast attacking sequences with
Grainne McClean (0-5) adding to her already
impressive tally. Longford’s first attack
of the game came on the 45th minute as they
launched a hopeful point effort from thirty
yards, however Down ‘keeper Elaine McCourt
was quick to capture the ball and eradicate
any danger. With Longford’s fitness
waining, Down were content to play the ball
about and use up the time. Points from Aileen
Pyers (1-2) and Grainne McClean (0-5) were
the icing on the cake in a game that was in
reality over long before the referee sounded
the final whistle. Final score, Down 1-17
Longford 0-0.
The impressive scoreline will have pleased
the Down camp but it was the nature of their
play that was the most impressive part of
the day. Their fitness and rate of turnovers,
while not overly crucial to the outcome of
this game will serve them well in future encounters
and the shooting boots of all six forwards
thankfully appear to be in good working order.
Managers Sean O’Hare and Paul McShane
were suitably impressed with their players’
performance saying, “it was very hard
to pick out any one person today for special
mention as every player worked their socks
off for each other throughout the game, with
the substitutes making their mark when they
came on. To notch up 1-17 in such windy conditions
was also very positive and our support play
was good throughout. While we know that there
are tougher tests to come, we are looking
forward to continuing this good form into
the next game.”
Down’s next game is again at home against
Donegal on Sunday 17th February. The team’s
next big challenge however will take the form
of a fundraising quiz in the Canal Court Hotel
on Thursday 7th February at 9.30pm. The support
of all clubs and supporters is much appreciated.
Down team: Elaine McCourt, Eliza Downey,
Niamh McGowan, Niamh Lennon, Sinead Fegan,
Aoibheann Downey, Emma Mulhern, Kyla Trainor,
Lyndsey Cunningham, Grainne McClean, Lisa
Morgan, Orla Fegan, Aileen Pyers, Michaela
Downey (captain), Natasha Ferris. Subs used:
Sinead Murphy, Jenna Connell, Emma Madine.
