Danny boy points way

Danny boy points way

22 February 2017

DOWN hurlers are up and running and they have Gareth ‘Magic’ Johnson to thank for helping secure their first victory of the campaign.

The Ballygalget stalwart came off the bench at a crucial stage of the game and plundered a goal and a point to send Roscommon packing.

Down’s heavy defeat to Meath in their opening game was all but forgotten as Johnson, Danny Toner, Conor O’Prey and Eoghan Sands stepped up to the plate when it mattered.

The sides exchanges early points with captain Danny Toner matching anything Roscommon could muster with his accuracy keeping the sides level at 0-5 apiece after 14 minutes.

Led brilliantly by Conor Woods and Conor O’Prey, Down matched Roscommon every step of the way and further points from Toner, O’Prey and Sands ensured that little separated the sides as the half-time break approached.

Roscommon had the last say of the half when they took a 0-9 to 0-8 lead with a score in added time, but the visitors were given a helping hand as Down wasted three great scoring opportunities in this period.

Jason Kilkenny, Naos Connaughton and Robbie Fallon were giving the Down defence a rough time, but John McManus, Michael Hughes and Sean Ennis stuck to their job manfully and finally got on top of their opponents.

Down hit the ground running at the start of the second half and scores from Toner, McManus, Malachy Magee and O’Prey gave the home side a 0-12 to 0-9 lead, a lead they would not relinquish.

Toner continued his scoring spree and punished Roscommon for every discretion, on his way to a personal tally of 0-12. 

Down were gradually starting to put daylight between the sides when manager Marty Mallon sent for Johnson to finish things off and the big man didn’t let him down.

He bagged a goal and a point inside a matter of minutes to put the icing on the cake for Down and his combination play with Sands was a treat to watch.

“We let Roscommon hang in too long today,” admitted Mallon afterwards. Every time we went a few points up we let them back in. Roscommon played with seven defenders and it was very, very difficult to break that down in the first half.

“We shot 1-21 but we should have been up around 1-30. I thought we were much better than them the more we ran at them. But it’s a win and we’re up and running.”

Substitute Adrian Murphy scrambled an injury-time major for Roscommon to make it a three-point game, but Magee and Sands tagged on late scores to ram home Down’s advantage.

Down: S Keith, J McManus, M Hughes, S Ennis, J McGrath, C Woods, M Ennis, C O’Prey (0-3), D McManus, C Egan, C Teggart, C Bailie, E Sands (0-3), M Magee (0-2), D Toner (0-12, 10f). Subs: C Mageean for C Teggart, G Johnson (1-1) for C Bailie, R Branagan for C Egan.

Roscommon: J Fallon, M Beirne, D Loughnane, P Nolan, S Curley (0-1f), E Flanagan, P Kellehan, C Coyle, H Rooney, A Finnerty, J Coyne (0-1), J Kilkenny (0-1), C Kenny, R Fallon (0-8, 6f), N Connaughton (0-5). Subs: A Murphy (1-0) for C Kenny, G Fallon for C Coyle, G Egan for A Finnerty, D Dolan for R Fallon.