Sizzling second period proves pivotal as Down despatch Longford to reach Tailteann Cup Quarter-Finals
Down 1-20 Longford 1-12
Down may have stumbled once or twice, but at the end of the day they came out very much on top in this riveting Tailteann Cup encounter at Pairc Esler, Newry last night.
Now it’s onto the draw for the Quarter-Finals of a competition which is beginning to hold special appeal for followers.
Right now, boss Conor Laverty and his backroom team are digesting a performance against Longford that was wholehearted, robust and in spasms electrifying.
It was a fusion of their teamwork, fluency and character that ultimately took them over the line and triggered optimism for their next assignment.
While Longford rose to the challenge in the first-half and at one stage had assembled a five-point lead, their pace and cohesion deserted them for the most part in the second-half as Down stepped up to the mark.
Longford had looked to be on a firm footing when they led by 0-04 to 0-02 with 12 minutes gone – and they became even more confident when they found themselves 0-07 to 0-04 in front with Keelin McGann, Joe Hagan and Dessie Reynolds to the fore.
But when Pat Havern showed that he had brought his shooting boots along, Andrew Gilmore underlined his thirst for scores and Eugene Branagan proved a workaholic up front, Down slowly but surely tightened their grip on proceedings.
Down, though, were rocked back on their heels in the 27th minute, when the ever-dangerous Hagan raced in from the wing and planted the ball firmly in Niall Kane’s net.
Suddenly, at 1-07 to 0-05, Down looked as if they had temporarily run aground before points from Havern, Gilmore and Branagan trimmed Longford’s interval advantage to 1-08 to 0-08.
But that was as good as it got for Longford. It was a rather different hosting outfit that took the field for the second-half, their much more committed approach quickly forcing their opponents onto the back foot.
And in a sustained 12-minute scoring blitz, Down streaked clear after subs Paddy McCarthy, Ross Carr and Rory Mason joined the imperious Havern in nailing points that took the Mournemen to a higher plateau.
At 1-15 to 1-11, though, Down had no intention of taking their foot off the accelerator.
Instead, Danny Magill and Eamon Brown were thrown into the fray and lost no time in doing their bit to secure their team’s lead.
And with their tails up, Down swept through the final phase of the game, their cause facilitated by the fact that Longford incurred two black cards which were dished out to Aaron Farrell and Daire O’Brien.
For the home team, this was a satisfying victory – yet one from which they will have absorbed lessons as they focus on taking custody of the Tailteann Cup.
Skipper Pierce Laverty did not mince his words at the finish.
He said: “The fact of the matter is that we can now get Cavan, Antrim or Limerick, and let’s just say any of those teams would be a formidable challenge for us. While we are delighted to have got this win, we know that we must keep a sharp focus going forward. There are other teams in there who will be very keen to get their hands on the silverware and we cannot afford to drop our guard.
“The manager can only start 15 players in any game, and the fact that competition for places is intense is helping to keep every one of us on our toes. That’s the way you want it to be. We had subs who came on in this game and made a big impact, so you can be sure that they will have starting places in their sights going forward.
“The fact that we have now at least one more match is a bonus, and this will keep everyone on their toes. There are quality sides still in the Tailteann Cup and we are prepared for that.”
DOWN: N Kane; A Doherty, P Laverty, P McCarthy 0-01; G Collins, R Magill, D Guinness; S Annett, O Murdock; C Doherty 0-02, D McAleenan 0-01, L Kerr 0-01; A Gilmore 0-03, P Havern 0-06 (2f), E Branagan 0-01.
Subs: R Carr 0-02 for Collins (32), D Magill 0-01 for Annett (half-time), R Mason 0-02 for McAleenan (45), E Brown for Gilmore (54), M Rooney for Kerr (59).
By Sun 11th Jun
