Down go under against Antrim

Down go under against Antrim

19 January 2022

DOWN senior footballers’ disappointing start to their Dr McKenna Cup campaign continued when they lost out to Antrim by two points in Newry last week.

The defeat means back-to-back losses for James McCartan’s new-look side, despite some encouraging individual performances throughout from the Mourne outfit.

Down will count themselves unlucky not to gain anything from the contest, having gone tit for tat with the Saffrons in the first half and Barry O’Hagan seeing his last gasp goal bound effort ricocheting over the bar instead of hitting the back of the net.

McCartan’s men got off to a dream start when the newly returned Niall McParland sent a long ball forward into the hands of Ryan O’Higgins, who opened the scoring through a well struck goal just three minutes in.

Ruairi McCann and Odhran Eastwood confidently kicked over frees to bring Antrim within one point of levelling the scores before Packie O’Hagan doubled Down’s lead just before the 15 minute mark.

Antrim did manage to completely reduce the deficit before the first water-break, with two quick-fire scores coming from Patrick McBride and a Pat Shivers free.

As the players rehydrated, the surrounding supporters at Pairc Esler were awarded time to catch their breath as the fast paced game was momentarily brought to a halt.

Veteran Darren O’Hagan entered the fray in the place of John McGeough upon the resumption before James Laverty kicked over a point from play to give the visitors the lead for the first time in the match.

A well worked attack ended with Kevin McKernan levelling proceedings once again for the hosts, and soon after captain Caolan Mooney fired over between the sticks to give his side the advantage.

Things began heating up in the cold weather, with plenty of firm challenges on show.

Anytime the Mourne side were edging ahead, Antrim were right on their coattails and were now starting to overpower the home side in different areas of the pitch.

Antrim’s McCann kicked over two unanswered points, the first from a ’45’ and the second from a free, although Down’s sharpshooting Barry O’Hagan restored parity in a matter of seconds.

With three minutes to the interval, McCann converted his fourth free of the night to give the Saffrons a one point lead.

Half time: Down 1-4 Antrim 0-8.

Down boss McCartan made his second change of the night in the form of Ross Carr swapping out Josh Connery to help give his county a different option at the back, although they conceded their first goal of the contest a minute into the restart.

Patrick McBride duly converted a fisted effort past Down’s Rory Burns after Antrim team-mate Jamie McCann powered his way through the home defence.

Down responded positively, splitting the sticks three times unanswered with scores from a Barry O’Hagan free and a brace of points from play through McKernan and Darren O’Hagan.

After over ten minutes without a score on the board, Antrim finally kicked over the bar through Michael McCann.

Causing further problems for Down, McCann proved important at both sides of the pitch when he managed to catch ‘keeper Burns’ attempted ’45 to rule out any chance of a goal.

At the second water-break, the home side trailed by two with it all still to play for as both sides made changes.

Barry O’Hagan took the mark and knocked over a brace of frees to level the scores but once again, Antrim would not be deterred and replied with a point from play by substitute Conor Murray.

As the clock ticked down the next few scores would be vital in deciding the outcome and unfortunately for the home support they wouldn’t be given much more to cheer about.

With two minutes of regulation time to go, Patrick McBride struck over what looked like an insurance point for the Saffrons.

As the official announced three minutes of added time, Down pressed high in search of that crucial goal to share the points.

With one last opportunity awarded to Down in the form of a free, Barry O’Hagan stepped up to fire his effort towards the net.

However, the ball would have to travel past a sea of Antrim bodies that had smartly piled across the goal line.

Agonisingly, O’Hagan’s effort smashed off the opposing Antrim wall of defence before clipping the crossbar on its way over to give the visitors a dramatic victory. 

Down: R Burns; P Fegan, B McArdle, G Collins; J Connery, N McParland, J McGeough; A Doherty, L Middleton; R O’Higgins (1-0), C Mooney (0-1), C O’Rawe; B O’Hagan (0-5, 0-1 mark, 0-3 frees), P O’Hagan (0-1), K McKernan (0-2)

Subs: D O’Hagan (0-1) for McGeough, R Carr for Connery, T Prenter for P O’Hagan. A Lynch for McParland, C Poland for McArdle, J Donaghy for McKernan, C Francis for Middleton

Yellow card: A Doherty

Antrim: O Kerr; R Boyle, R Johnston, E McCabe; P Healy, J Laverty (0-1), J McCann; K Small, M McCann (0-1); P McBride (1-2), P Shivers (0-1 free), R McCann (0-4 frees); J Gribbin, O Eastwood (0-1 mark), T McCann

Subs: D McAleese for R McCann, P McCormick for Boyle, R Murray (0-1) for Eastwood, C Murray (0-1) for P Shivers, J McAuley for J McCann, D McCormick for T McCann, B McCormick for Small

Yellow card: P McBride

Referee: M Farrelly (Cavan).