Championship starts with bang for Blues

Championship starts with bang for Blues

27 August 2025

LOUGHINISLAND kicked into gear in the second half to reverse a four-point deficit and see off RGU Downpatrick in the opening round of the Down Senior Football Championship at Teconnaught’s Rann Road.

The Hoops entered the match buoyed by their great escape in ACFL Division 1, having secured safety with victory over runners-up Burren in their final fixture, while their opponents were intent on exacting revenge for defeat in both of their league meetings.

The two sides went at it hammer and tongs in the first half, until Gerdie Collins popped up with an expertly taken goal on the stroke of half-time, providing RGU with a margin of four points to defend.

However, the second half belonged to Loughinisland, who snatched victory with majors from Edward Nixon and Rory Deegan, alongside a series of points.

Downpatrick claimed possession from the throw-in and went in search of the opening point, but corner-back Jack Ferris stepped in with an interception and Loughinisland flew up the other end, pointing through Oisin Savage.

RGU could only find a wide in response and before long, Oisin Savage finished off another team move with a second point in three minutes.

Another series of wides ensued and while it looked like the Hoops would continue to be frustrated when Caolan Mooney clipped the upright with a free, Lewis Greene eventually got them off the mark in the sixth minute.

Loughinisland came back firing and would have found the first major of the game, was it not for James Deeny stopping John McCarthy at close range.

Still, it would not be long until they restored their two-point margin, with James Savage picking out Aidan McLoughlin for an unchallenged point.

The ‘home’ side threatened the goal once more on the 11-minute mark and although Aaron McClements should have hit the target, his shot had too much power and instead went over for a single point.

The game became bogged down in wides for a period of time, as each team produced a number of wayward efforts.

Jarlath Branagan got the scoring back on track, pulling RGU back to within two and garnering the momentum that would see them through to the mid-way point with the upper hand.

Anthony Doherty hit a pair of two-pointers, supported by an Óran Cunningham score, before Oisin Savage and Rory Mason reduced the arrears to a minimum.

The difference at half-time came in the form of the Collins’ goal, after Cunningham’s searching ball saw the RGU 

stalwart engage in a foot race with Chris Turley and use his experience to palm over the head of the onrushing goalkeeper.

Downpatrick picked up where they had left off when the second half commenced, with Collins finding Dónal Milligan for a momentum-boosting point.

However, Loughinisland soon stamped their authority on proceedings, taking advantage of a defensive mishap with a Nixon major.

RGU were seemingly rocked by the goal, faltering with another couple of wides, and they were subsequently punished for their wasted efforts.

The Loughinisland men kicked on, opening up a lead courtesy of scores from Jonathan Flynn and the wondrous left foot of Rory Mason (3).

Mooney drove forward with soccer-style dribbling, eventually laying off to Branagan, who saw his first effort blocked by the diving Ferris but pointed with his second bite of the cherry.

That score was unable to stop the rot though, as Rory Mason played a sumptuous ball into the goalmouth, where Deegan was waiting to ripple the back of the net.

Cunningham and Collins’s late points were cancelled out by Stefan Mason and Oisin 

Savage, as RGU failed to steady the ship and contributed to their own downfall with wayward passing.

Their attempts to play out from the back ceded possession and allowed Stefan Mason and James Savage to swoop in for scores.

Nixon saw red in the dying embers and although that aided Cunningham in pulling one back, Loughinisland’s five-point buffer was enough to see them over the line.