Tame Down shown exit door by Kildare

Tame Down shown exit door by Kildare

16 July 2014

ANOTHER summer, another disappointment.

Down’s involvement in the All Ireland series came to an abrupt end at Pairc Esler on Sunday as 6,375 fans witnessed Kildare cruelly expose an underperforming home side.

Gary White and Cathal McNally posted early scores for the Lilywhites which set the tone for what was to come.

A disastrous miss-kicked 45 from Down goalie Michael Cunningham then followed before Donal O’Hare settled the Mourne men’s nerves with two straightforward frees close to goal, but that was as good as it got for a while.

Kildare’s direct approach was beginning to cause McCartan’s men serious problems and the Leinster side picked off three further scores in a ten minute window.

Padraig Fogarty, Padraig O’Neill and Eamon Callaghan were the sharpshooters with the latter’s effort particularly pleasing on the eye.

O’Neill struck again soon after before substitute Alan Smith posted after his introduction for Callaghan who was black carded.

Incredibly, Down’s first point from open play didn’t arrive until the 35th minute when Benny Coulter shot over.

The final action of the half saw Eoghan O’Flaherty land a monstrous score from all of 40 metres. The start of the second half heralded a new dawn for Down.

Benny Coulter was moved to the edge of the square and this switch inspired a mini revival. The homesters reeled off four points without reply in the first five minutes as Kildare failed to come out of the blocks.

Defenders Darren O’Hagan and Kevin McKernan managed to get up the field to grab two of them while Donal O’Hare pointed a free with Coulter tagging on the other.

In the 43rd minute the game was then level as Coulter classily finished after skipping past the challenge of Hugh McGrillen. Kildare’s comeback was swift with substitute Smith and Fogarty splitting the uprights.

Down were peaking at this stage and efforts from Declan Rooney and Conor Maginn had the sides level for the third time in the contest.

However, Down’s efforts began to lose steam. The last 15 minutes were to prove their undoing as Kildare handsomely outscored them 1-8 to 0-3.

Fogarty’s disputed point lifted his team with Emmett Bolton tagging on another.

Conor Laverty did retort with his sole score of the day, but a double from Niall Kelly and further strikes from O’Neill and Smith had Down sunk.

The icing on the cake for the Lilywhites arrived in the closing stages as midfielder Tommy Moolick struck a thunderous rocket to Michael Cunningham’s top corner to leave ten points the difference at the long whistle.

James McCartan refused to blame a controversial 59th minute ‘point’ by Kildare’s Padraig Fogarty for Down’s championship demise.

It was a one-point game, 0-11 to 0-12, when Fogarty’s effort was signalled as a score, despite having clearly tailed wide of the near post.

The decision proved to be a massive turning point as Kildare hit an unanswered 1-5 in the closing 10 minutes to run out flattering 10-point winners.

“When you lose by the margin we did, it’s hard to look back and blame one particular incident, but the game was in the melting pot at that stage,” said the Down manager, who refused to be drawn on his future.

“They (match officials) have difficult decisions to make, but the linesmen had a perfect view of it.

“I don’t know why he called the referee over to tell him he was right. If you’re going to call someone over, it’s to change something.

“It was a big fillip for them (Kildare) at the time. We were well beaten, we’ll stop moaning about it, it’s just in our heads at this moment.”

Kildare: M. Donnellan, C. Fitzpatrick, H. McGrillen, O. Lyons, E. Bolton (0-1), F. Conway, K. Cribbin, T. Moolick (1-0), G. White (0-1), C. McNally (0-2), N. Kelly (0-2), P. O’Neill (0-3), E. Callaghan (0-1), P. Fogarty (0-4, 1f, 1’45), E. O’Flaherty (0-1). Subs: A. Smith (0-3) for Callaghan, M. O’Grady for McGrillen, H. Lynch for White (BC), T. O’Connor for O’Flaherty, E. Doyle for Bolton, M. Conway for McNally.

Down: M. Cunningham, D. McCartan, D. Rooney (0-1), D. O’Hagan (0-1), C. McCartan, C. Garvey, K. McKernan (0-1), D. Gordon, P. Turley, B. Coulter (0-3), C. Maginn (0-1), M. Poland, D. O’Hare (0-3f), N. Madine, C. Laverty (0-1). Subs: C. Toner for P. Turley, R. Johnston for Madine, B. McArdle for McCartan, D. Turley for R. Johnston.

Down 0-11

Kildare 1-18

ALL-IRELAND SFC QUALIFYING ROUND E