Extra time heartbreak for game minor outfit

Extra time heartbreak for game minor outfit

23 May 2018

DOWN’S Minor footballers suffered an agonising extra time defeat at Healy Park, Omagh, on Sunday with Monaghan booking their spot in the Ulster semi-finals.

James McCartan’s young guns gave their all and it wasn’t until the second period of extra-time that Monaghan started to pull away and take the spoils, Downpatrick’s Tom Smyth got an expressive Down up and running in the third minute and this was quickly followed by similar scores from Shealan Dohnston and Ryan Connolly as the Mourne lads seized a 0-3 to 0-0 lead after eight minutes.

Aaron Mulligan registered Monaghan’s first score in the 10th minute with a converted free before Sean Jones left a point between the sides less than a minute later.

Anthony Morgan pointed Down two points clear by the 15th minute, but the Red and Blacks were denied a certain goal by ‘keeper Ryan Farrelly when he kept out an effort from Connolly.

The rangy full forward did manage two points to hand Down a 0-6 to 0-2 lead, but Monaghan had the last score of the first half when Jason Irwin pointed to leave three points in it the interval, 0-6 to 0-3.

Down picked up the first point of the second half through Justin Clarke, but this was quickly cancelled out by Mulligan.

A quick-fire goal minutes later from Morgan had Down in seventh heaven with a 1-7 to 0-4 lead, but Monaghan hit a purple patch of their and scores from Donnach Swinburne and Jones left it a four point game after 44 minutes.

Connolly extended Down’s lead with a point from play, but a Swinburne goal out of nothing turned the game on its head. Unanswered points from Karl Gallagher (0-2), Jordan McGarrell and Mulligan suddenly had Monaghan clear at 1-10 to 1-8 with seven minutes remaining.

Tom Close and Gallagher exchanged points before scores from Johnston and Connolly brought the sides level again with time almost up.

Darragh Dempsey seemed to settle the issue with a Monaghan point four minutes into added time, but the irrepressible Connolly sent the game to extra time with an equalising score in the sixth minute of added time.

Early scores from Johnston and Connolly put Down into a 1-14 to 1-12 lead after only three minutes of the first period of extra-time, but Mulligan kept his side in touch with a point from play.

Loughinisland’s Peter McMullen gave Down a 1-15 to 1-13 lead, but Monaghan owned the remainder of the game.

Points from Mulligan and McGarrell sent the sides into the second period of extra-time on level terms, but with Down fading, Monaghan rifled over scores from Mulligan (0-2), Jones (0-2) and Hanratty to a consolation point from Eamon Brown.

Down: D Sheridan, D Fegan, L Toal, R Tumilty, L Brannigan, G Fitzpatrick, A Cribbins, M Cunningham, A Morgan (1-1), S Campbell, J Clarke (0-1, 1f), T Close (0-1f), S Johnston (0-3, 2f), R Connolly (0-6, 2f), T Smyth (0-1). Subs: P McMullen (0-1) for Tumilty, T Saul for Campbell, J McGovern for Cribbins, E Brown (0-1) for Morgan, Morgan for Brown, Brown for Smyth, P Brookes for Cunningham, B Boyd for Clarke. 

Monaghan: R Farrelly, R Grimes, J Doogan, S Hanratty, C Flood, B Og Dufaigh, J McGarrell (0-2), A Moore, J Wilson, A Mulligan (0-7, 2f), S Jones (0-3), K Gallagher (0-4), D Swinburne (1-1), L Power, J Irwin (0-1). Subs: M Meehan for Flood (black card), D Dempsey (0-1) for Power, O O’Hanlon for Moore, M Mooney for Wilson, R Hanratty (0-1) for Dempsey.