Masters: Leitrim 0-04 Down
0-07
Down travelled the long distance
to Ballinamore in Co Leitrim last Saturday
and recorded a very hard fought win in their
first game in this years competion. For one
reason or another the Down Masters Team travelled
without Mickey Linden, Ross Carr, Robby Coulter,
DJ Kane, Gary Mason and Sean Devlin.
Tthe half time score was
0-04 to 0-02 in favour of Down, the scorers
being Mark McCartan, Noel Greenan, Colie Pyres
and Castlewellan's Paddy Hardy but Down could
have been up by double. Down knowing that
they were the better footballing side continued
to play the ball into Leitrim's 21yd line
time after time looking for the first of these
goals which never came and was inevitably
cleared downfeild after them taking the wrong
option or the short ball being intercepted
by a grateful leitrim defence (shades of what
was to come the next day in clones). all this
suceeded in doing was to keep leitrim in the
game right up until the last minuet but mebay
this can be put down to the fact that most
of the squad has only being traing the last
3 weeks.
Brendan McKernan started
where he left off last season scoring a point
and doing trojan work in midfield along with
peter withnal who controlled this sector and
set up most of the forays into the lietrim
goal area. another great display at full back
was eamon o rourke who started most of downs
moves from the back line and John Donnelly
who showed up well in his first complete game
along with donal ward who was very instrumental
with the forementioned backs in prompting
his mates on. up front there were good displays
from newcomers Barney Roberts and Colie Pyres
with the remainder of the team playing and
the comittment given a 100%, the only negative
being the over playing the ball close to goals
when the need fore a score (point) was crying
out.
Colum Rogers (jun) came on
for Noel Greenan late in the second half and
nearly touched the ball twice. coke said there
was higher scoring games in the european soccer
championship and what the game needed was
a forward with flair (himself). Dom Kearns
said he would bring him his 1970s trousers
for the next game but he dosnt think they
will make him play any better. next game,
friendly v antrim sat 5th at the opening of
Cargin's new pitch, in Toombridge.
team panel;
john heenan, annaclone
micky mc mahon, teconnought
john donnelly drumgath
eamon o rourke an rioght
mickey mc keown st michaels
donal ward castlewellan
terry o higgins letrim
garvin bradle clan na banna
brendan mc kernan burren
peter withnal clonduff
barney roberts tullyish
audi mc veigh castlewellan
colie pyres annaclone
paddy hardy castlewellan
mark mc cartan carryduff
noel greenan annaclone
colum rogers glen
eamon quinn carryduff
domnick kearns clan na banna
