Caldwell’s goal seals cup win

Caldwell’s goal seals cup win

22 December 2020

DOWN’S U-17 hurlers will have cause to celebrate Christmas with a little more cheer after they clinched the Peadar Ó Laitháin Cup with a two-point win over Meath in Navan on Sunday.

Two minutes into injury time, and with the sides deadlocked at 0-14 apiece, it looked as if we were heading to extra time when Ryan Byas struck over a wonderful 50m sideline.

Meath looked to have sealed victory from a doggedly tough Down side with virtually the last play of the contest.

However, straight from the resulting puck-out Michael Dorrian raced clear of midfield and floated the sliotar towards the edge of the box.

Francis Caldwell reached highest and as he slipped past both Cottrell and Ennis in defence.

A deftly-placed one handed flick out-foxed Jack Fagan as he lunged out to intercept the sliotar. He could only watch on but as it bypassed his attempts and nestled in the back of the Meath net.

Finn Turpin opened the day with the first score of the game inside a minute. Down’s captain, Tom McGrattan, knocked over a free a minute later, but by the end of the first quarter Meath were in front as midfielder Joey Cole got the next three scores. 

McGrattan levelled matters from play shortly afterwards, as both defences were kept busy.

On several occasions in the first half, Down threatened the Meath rearguard as goal chances went begging with James Clarke, Michael Dorrian and Caldwell all having attempts saved, blocked or bundled away from danger.

Down struggled in the middle of the park and found it hard to win any puck-outs against a physically strong Meath team.

They did though throw themselves into every tackle. Jarlath McCollum, Deaglan Mallon and James Higgins played out of their skins, harrying, hustling and shutting down any potential danger as Meath tried in vain to breach the Down defence.

A McGrattan free and a Caldwell point saw Down edge into a two-point lead in a very scrappy final ten minutes of the half.

With less than three minutes to the whistle, Meath hit a purple patch with four unanswered scores, two courtesy of the dangerous Ryan Byas and the others from corner men Rory Fagan and Josh Harris.

Playing with a slight breeze in the first half, Meath knew that if they were to ensure a victory on home soil, they would surely need some daylight between themselves and their northern opponents before the change of ends. 

Thankfully for Down, Turpin, Dorrian and Clarke kept Meath on their toes as they eventually managed to engineer the last score of the half.

Oisín Coulter popped the sliotar over from out near the side-line to leave just two points between the sides at the end of the half.

Within the opening two minutes of the restart, Oisín Coulter continued a good vain of form and had the sides level for the fifth time, as both sides refused to yield.

Joey Cole pointed four minutes later as the Royals introduced Matthew Cully to full forward, his introduction would breathe new life into their attack. 

Down initially struggled to handle the burly full forward, who ended the day with three superbly-taken points whilst under severe pressure from their Ulster counterparts.

The lead changed hands again as two McGrattan frees and a Michael Dorrian point gave them a slight edge with the game fast approaching the second water break. 

A Jack Meagher score, followed swiftly by Matthew Cully’s first of the day, when he picked Down’s pocket after a quick puck-out had failed to reach its intended target, shook Down. Instead of leading going down the home straight, it was level at 0-11 each.

With 30 minutes played Denis Darby won a sideline for the home side and when Byas hit the sweetest of strikes straight over Pearse Smyth’s crossbar there were scenes of jubilation and euphoria from the Meath bench as surely it looked as if Justin Coyne would be presented with the cup. 

Sean Young had this young Down side well drilled and it was a credit to the team’s spirit that within the next 30 seconds Down’s goal machine, Francis Caldwell ensured that it would be a victory for Down in the strangest of seasons five days before Christmas.

After seeing Tom McGrattan lift the cup, a delighted Young was magnanimous in victory and praised Meath for the high standard of Hurling that made this contest such a thriller.

“We knew coming into the game today this would be a very different challenge than last week,” he said.

“Meath are always a big strong physical side with a spread of talented Hurlers in their ranks. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy to play them in their back yard, it was going to be a monumental task to get over the line. 

“I thought the game was nip and tuck in the first quarter as our main objective was not to concede any early goals playing against a stiff breeze in the first half. I can’t praise the boys enough, our bench helped us over the line and it was a superbly taken goal from Francis”.

Meath: J Fagan, R Ennis, H Cottrell, E Cole, P Connelly, J Coyne, K O’Gorman, J Cole (0-5, 0-3f), E Grehan, R Byas (0-3, 0-1sl), J Meagher (0-2), S Donnelly, R Fagan (0-1), J Harris, S Cunningham (0-1).

Subs: M Cully (0-3) for Harris, E McCormack for Donnelly, D Darby for Cunningham.

Down: P Smyth, J Higgins, D Mallon, J McCollum, N Kelly, C Savage, F McFall, R O’Neill, J Duggan, F Turpin (0-1), T McGrattan (0-5, 0-4f), M Dorrian (0-2), O Coulter (0-3), J Clarke, F Caldwell (1-2, 0-1f).

Subs: S Milligan (0-1) for O’Neill, F MacManus for McGrattan.