Leinster Shield: South Down 1-12 Wicklow
3-16
South Down's Danny Doran (Balella)
The gap between Division 2
and Division 4 of the National Hurling League
was hard to see for most of this Leinster Shield
match. For 45 minutes South Down punched well
above their weight and it was only in the final
quarter that Wicklow’s higher level experience
began to tell.
South Down again fielded with
a severely weakened team and within five minutes
they lost Colm O’Neill with a serious
ankle injury. But the Mourne men are becoming
accustomed to adversity and they began well.
Three points from long-range frees by John Murphy
set them on their way and points from Daniel
Doran and Niall Conway left the score 0-5 each
after 20 minutes.
Another Murphy free gave the
home team the lead for the first time but Wicklow
then struck for the first of their three goals.
Goalkeeper Gary McMullan was in excellent form
for Down but he was unable to reach a well-struck
shot.
Murphy’s fifth point
in a row from frees and a fine point from Karl
Maxwell left the Down men trailing by just a
point. Then John O’Kane pounced for Down’s
goal and the home team were matching their Division
2 opponents in all parts of the pitch.
A second Wicklow goal put the
Leinster men back in the lead, but Clonduff’s
Paudie Matthews scored a point from play to
leave South Down trailing by a single point
at half-time, on a score of 2-8 to 1-10.
South Down's Man of the match David McGovern
Although Murphy scored from
a 65 and debutante Liam Morgan scored a fine
point from play, the Mourne men gradually lost
touch with Wicklow in the second half. Niall
Conway’s broken thumb added to an already
lengthy injury list and a harshly disallowed
goal from Ronan Mulligan did not help the home
team’s cause. A Wicklow goal on the stroke
of full-time gave final score a rather unjustified
appearance.
However, Wicklow were worth
their win and they can face into the Christy
Ring Cup with confidence. South Down can also
take heart from the result. They finished the
match with just 15 fit players from the panel
of 35. They go to Birmingham on Saturday to
face Warwickshire in the final match of the
Leinster Shield and they must then re-build
the panel for the all-Ireland Nicky Rackard
Cup which begins on June 22. After this display
against Wicklow they can face the future with
some confidence.
South Down: Gary McMullan,
Michael Murphy, Brian McAleenan, Ruairi Matthews,
Colm O’Neill, David McGovern, John Murphy
(0-6, 0-5 frees, 0-1 65), Daniel Doran (0-1),
Paudie Matthews (0-1), Niall Conway (0-1), Karl
Maxwell (0-1), Ronan Mulligan, Alan Higgins,
John O’Kane (1-0).
Subs: Liam Morgan for O’Neill
(inj., 5 mins); Martin Duggan for Conway (inj.,
45 mins).
