South Down crashed out of
the Nicky Rackard Cup in a game which, with
better organisation, they could have won.
They were in difficulty from the start with
Louth’s half forward, Shane Fennell,
being used as an over-lapping player which
created space for the inside forwards. Within
15 minutes the ploy worked with a Louth goal
and by 27 minutes they had scored a second
with the same tactic.
Their free-running forwards
had also added six points by then, while Down
had managed only four from the two Browns,
Eoin McGuinness and Dan Morgan. Then McGuinness
struck for a fine goal following a neat flick-on
from Liam Morgan. But within three minutes
the Down half-back line was again caught out
of position and Louth scored a third goal
to leave them ahead at half-time by 3-6 to
1-7.
Playing with the wind in
the second half, the Down forwards found that
they were now facing a new defensive system
with Louth corner forward Sean Conroy being
used as a sweeper. That left three Down backs
on two Louth forwards, but with a five point
cushion Louth could afford to place a spare
man in their defence and take their scores
on the break. The unmarked Conroy usually
led the break.
It was a system which Down
never came to grips with and when Danny Doran
was sent off for two yellow cards, Down were
effectively playing the closing stages of
a tight match with six forwards against eight
defenders. They were always chasing the game
and when Louth snatched their fourth goal
early the second half, there was no one on
the Down team who could counter Louth’s
tactics by using the wind to put the ball
over the bar from 60 yards.
Gary McMullan
Liam Morgan gave them some
hope with a goal on 55 minutes but they were
never able to claw back the five point gap.
Their only plan was to hope that Eoin McGuinness
could push his way through the Louth defence
for another goal, but there were just too
many Louth bodies in the way.
Playing with a two man full-forward
line would have created some space, but Down
kept charging in packs at the Louth defensive
wall, when points might have been a better
option. Down rarely made good use of the wind
and while they worked hard, they were effectively
out-thought in a game which was there for
them.
John Murphy
South Down: Gary McMullan,
Liam Deegan, James McGrath, Paul McCusker,
Rory Matthews, Alan Higgins, Dan McCusker
(Capt.), John Murphy, Artie McGuinness, John
Brown (0-5, 0-4 frees, 0-1 65) Dan Morgan
(0-2, frees), Eoin McGuinness (1-2), Aidan
Brown (0-1), Kieran Sloan (0-1), Liam Morgan
(1-4, 0-4 frees).
Subs: Martin Duggan (0-1) for Rory Matthews
and Danny Doran for John Murphy
