Taken from the Irish News: By Matt Fitzpatrick
IN
a pulsating opening game in the Allianz NFL
Division 3, Down came from six points down
at half-time to snatch a dramatic victory
over Connacht champions Sligo in Pairc Esler,
Newry on Saturday night.
Star of the Down side was centre half-back
Liam Doyle. The Liatroim Fontenoys player,
starting just his third game in over a year
due to injury, was rock solid at centre half
back, marshalling the defence along with Martin
Cole, Darren O'Hanlon and Gary McArdle.
But Doyle emphasised that they cannot forget
that Sligo had them on the ropes for much
of the game.
"This was a good victory in the end
but Sligo came out of the blocks very fast
which was a worry for us. We conceded, what
we would claim would be soft goals but it
is something that we would need to work on".
Liam admitted that both Ross Carr and DJ
Kane were far from happy at half-time.
"They told us we would need to get out
of the blocks quickest in the second half.
We did do that. Maybe that little bit of superior
fitness helped as well," Doyle added.
Looking forward to their next game against
Louth, Doyle admitted it will be another tough
assignment.
"We will just have to work hard on the
training field especially in the defence sector.
Sligo ran at us a bit in the first half and
we are just having to come up with the answers
against Louth," he said.
This
was a game that had everything. There were
long passages of good football, thrilling
scores, near misses, mostly by Down, and a
vintage second half performance by Down who
restricted Sligo to just a single point.
In the opening half Sligo took the game to
Down, capitalising on some sloppy mistakes
and misdirected passing and were worth their
six points lead at half-time. Whatever Down
manager Ross Carr said to his charges at the
interval it worked like magic. They re-emerged,
took control, slotted over some excellent
points and killed off the Sligo challenge
with a picture goal three minutes from time
that put the icing on the cake of a brilliant
second period.
Sligo's Noel McGuire, Michael McNamara and
Paul McGovern were best in defence while Mark
Breheny, Eamon O'Hara and Eamon Cawley were
most prominent in an attack that faded in
the second period. Eamon O'Hara was the only
blot on this Sligo performance when he received
a straight red card a minute from the finish.
Sligo led by 1-3 to 0-3 at the end of the
first quarter with their goal coming from
Mark Breheny while John Fegan pointed three
Down frees. A great effort from Darren O'Hanlon
came back off the crossbar. Five minutes from
the interval Eamon Cawley finished a good
Sligo move to the net as they led by 2-4 to
0-4 at half-time.
Two Danny Hughes points and a brilliant angled
one from Kevin McKernan brought Down back
into the game. With 10 minutes gone Kevin
Byrne had Sligo's only second half point while
Down lobbed over four unanswered points, including
one from substitute Paul McComiskey to level
the game with 10 minutes remaining. In a lightning
Down move Benny Coulter set up Dan Gordon
who blasted inches wide. With six minutes
left Liam Doyle gave Down the lead with a
50-metre free and three minutes from time
Paul McComiskey, Benny Coulter and John Clarke
combined to set up Jack Lynch to punch the
ball to the net and Down had secured both
points.
MATCH STATS
Down: B McVeigh; C McGovern, G McArdle, M
Cole; D O'Hanlon, L Doyle (0-1 free), K McGuigan;
D Gordon, J Lynch (1-1); J Fegan (0-5, 0-3
frees), K McKernan (0-1), D Hughes (0-3);
J Clarke, C Magee, R Sexton.
Subs: C Murney for C McGovern; P McComiskey
(0-1) for C Magee; R Murtagh for K McGuigan;
B Coulter for K McKernan
Sligo: P Green; C Harrison, N McGuire, R
Donovan; J Davey, M McNamara, P McGovern;
K Byrne (0-1), K Quinn; M Breheny (1-1), E
O'Hara (0-1), B Curran; E Cawley (1-0), K
Sweeney (0-1), D Kelly (0-1).
Subs: D Davey for D Kelly; P Gallagher for
B Curran
Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).
