Blossoming hurlers lift All-Ireland title

28 June 2017

DOWN’S young guns were crowned All-Ireland champions after their sensational victory over Dublin Plunketts in the Celtic Challenge final on Saturday.

There were several factors that swung this game in Down’s favour, most of which came in the second half of an enthralling final.

Young Down goalkeeper Eoin McCrickard made two breathtaking saves in the final 30 minutes, Jacque Dalton of Dublin received a straight red for a pull on Caolan Coulter 12 minutes into the second half, but most significantly Dublin Plunkett’s failed to take advantage of the wind as much as Down had done so in the first half.

These two teams had met a month earlier and although it finished in a victory for the Mourne lads, it was played in terrible conditions as the rain lashed the field for the entire match and neither team took much away from it that day.

Saturday’s final at a windy, but hot Netwatch Cullen Park was a totally different game with both teams confident that they were in with a good chance of surprising the other.

The game opened with Down choosing to play with the advantage of a strong wind.

Conor Berrigan opened the scoring for Plunkett’s in the opening minute, but it only took the Ulster lads five minutes to score the opening goal through Stuart Martin.

Dublin took further blows when Down’s Ronan Blair knocked over two points by the ninth minute. Dublin got their second score straight from the puck-out, but Phelim Savage cancelled that out with his side’s third point.

When Ronan Costello found a bit of room and pulled away from the close attentions of his marker, he made no mistake punishing the Dublin lads with a well-taken goal.

Over the next ten minutes Down gained some level of composure as the many parents and family that had travelled so far to watch this talented young Down team out score Dublin’s six points to one with vice-captain Blair pointing three frees and Costello once more proving to be a real problem for the Dubs with three points from play.

Down’s movement up front was a joy to watch as they constantly pulled their markers this way and that as Dublin tried their best to curtail Blair, Costello, Caolan Coulter, Niall McFarland and Stuart Martin, all of whom, if given room, would punish them dearly.

As the half-time whistle approached Dublin Plunkett’s pulled back two points through Ciaran Murphy and Sean Clerkin, but once again Down, through midfield Phelim Savage and Caolan Coulter, ensured that they had a healthy 12-point lead.

Had McCrickard not pulled off the first of three match winning saves in the dying seconds of the half, this game would most likely have taken a different tone for the boys in red and black.

The start of the second half was a nerve-tingling experience for the Down management and indeed the parents in the stand as Dublin looked like they could overturn the deficit. The only thing that mattered was did they have enough time to do it.

Cian Hayes was having a blinding game for the capital city lads and by the 38th minute had scored four of his side’s opening five points. Down were starting to struggle up front with a succession of wides and their defence was coming under increasing pressure with every passing minute.

James O’Connell hit his side’s sixth point on 40 minutes and the lead was now cut in half with 20 minutes to play. Down were in trouble and needed something to go their way, which happened when referee Simon Stokes showed Dalton a straight red for striking.

This proved to be a rather cruel blow for Dublin as their momentum stalled and they failed to score for another 17 minutes.

By now both teams were starting to feel the effects of the heat and players were starting to with exhaustion and cramp all over the field such was the intensity of this nail biting encounter.

It was in the 50th minute when the game’s winning score came, Stuart Martin finishing a brilliant move to the net to leave Down nine points

up and give them a bit of breathing space.

With a minute to go Craig Berrigan stroked a rebounded save to the Down net as McCrickard, lay outstretched in the ground and was powerless to stop it, having dived full length to save the initial effort from Hayes.

The game was thirty seconds into injury time when Dublin once more found the net. They tried hard to score a late winner at the death, but Down would not be denied.

Down: Eoin McCrickard (Liatroim), Matt McAreavey (Bredagh), Eoin Maguire (Carryduff), Ronan Murphy (Portaferry), Liam McCarthy (Ballycran), Cathal Coulter (Ballygalget), Billy Campbell (Newry Shamrocks), Ciaran Watson (Ballygalget), Phelim Savage (Ballycran) (0-2), Joe Hanrahan (Bredagh), Ronan Blair (0-5) (Portaferry), Niall McFarland (Bredagh), Caolan Coulter (0-1) (Ballygalget), Ronan Costello (1-3) (Bredagh), Stuart Martin (2-0). Subs: Padraig Doran (Portaferry), Sean Campbell (Newry Shamrocks), John Hughes (Ballygalget), Owen McGreevy (Ballela), Rory Brown (Ballycran).

Down 3-11

Dublin Plunketts 2-11

U-17 CELTIC CHALLENGE FINAL

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