Crestfallen Down throw it all away

Crestfallen Down throw it all away

13 June 2018

DOWN let a place in the Ulster final slip through their fingers at Clones on Sunday afternoon.

Conor Deegan’s side looked the business and played some delightful football on their way to a 2-11 to 0-7 lead by the 32nd minute, but somehow the wheels came off their challenge as Derry hit back with venom.  

Down started in a hurry and two early Conor McCrickard frees settled the nerves.

The deadly accurate Lorcan McWilliams (0-2) was equally potent from placed balls at the other end and he and twin brother Oisin and Ben McCarron helped Derry take a 0-4 to 0-3 lead by the 13th minute, Aaron Devlin scored Down’s third point. 

Daniel Guinness and Lorcan McWilliams swapped scores before McCarron gave Derry a 0-6 to 0-4 lead by the 17th minute.

Down retaliated with a brilliant goal from Pierce Laverty after Aaron Devlin and Aaron Magee had created the opening. McCrickard and Lorcan McWilliams exchanged points before Devlin netted Down’s second goal in five minutes after Laverty had split Derry wide open.

It was all Down now and points from Magee, McCrickard and Guinness sent the Red and Blacks into the break with a 2-8 to 0-7 lead.

Conor Cox, Devlin and Laverty stretched Down’s lead to 10 points at the start of the second half before it all started to go wrong.

Down just seemed to run out of gas at this stage. They surrendered control of midfield and retreated into a defensive shell. Derry couldn’t believe their luck and as confidence drained from the Down lads, the Oak Leafers grew visibly in stature.

Lorcan McWilliams kick-started Derry’s challenge when he calmly netted from the penalty spot in the 34th minute.

Lorcan and Oisin McWilliams (0-2) tagged on points and Callum Brown fetched and netted a second goal seven minutes later, and suddenly, Derry were only a point behind.

Jack McCartan and McCarron swapped scores before Oisin McWilliams and McCarron gave Derry a 2-13 to 2-12 lead after 47 minutes.

The thrilling nature of the game continued and Guinness brought the sides level again before McCarron and Conor Doherty eased Derry two ahead with five minutes remaining.

Two Liam Kerr points were split by a Lorcan McWilliams score and in a frenetic finale to the game Derry’s Conleith McShane appeared from nowhere to send over his side’s insurance point in added time.

Down: D Ross, B Gallen, F McIlroy, A Lynch, C Cox (0-1), O McConvey, S Annett, L Middleton, J Connery, O McCabe, P Laverty (1-1), D Guinness (0-3) A Devlin (1-2), C McCrickard (0-4f), A Magee (0-1). Subs: J McCartan (0-1) for Devlin, L Kerr (0-2) for Middleton, G McKibben for Magee, R Martin for Gallen, R Fegan for Connery

Derry: O Martin, S McKeever, C McCluskey (0-1), E Cormican, S Downey, C Doherty, D Cassidy, M McGrogan, D Rafferty, B McCarron (0-4, 1f) O McWilliams (0-3), J McAtamney, C Doherty (0-1f), C Brown (1-0), L McWilliams (1-7, 1 pen, 5f). Subs: C McShane (0-1) for McAtamney, M Bradley for McGrogan, A Tohill for Downey, A Bradley for Doherty, E Bradley for L McWilliams

Derry U-20 2-17

Down U-20 2-15

ULSTER U-20 FC