Downpatrick win but go out of SFC

Downpatrick win but go out of SFC

27 August 2014

IN the end it wasn’t enough. The RGU needed to win by a landslide to have any hope of qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Despite getting the required victory, the avalanche of points that was necessary never materialised.

For most of the game the RGU were on top. The fact that they didn’t make more of an imprint on the scoreboard will have galled manager DJ Kane.

His team had plenty of options up front, but at times they were starved of real quality ball.

With Danny Hughes superbly marshalled by Gerdie Collins, Saval turned to Pat Havern to lead their charge and he did so in impressive fashion.

The sprightly wing forward was the star of the game and he is sure to feature in a county senior jersey in the not too distant future.

Saval opened their account first through Keelan Rice. Ian Kearney pulled off a superb save from Niall Madine in the aftermath before Michael Magee responded for the RGU.

The remaining twenty minutes of the half saw the Hoops hit 0-5 with Saval failing to reply.

Sean Bell had to venture towards the Saval rearguard to pick up two well-taken points with Magee, McGrady and Gracey adding the others.

Darren Quinn’s men upped their game considerably on the restart.

However, things started badly for them when John Shields smashed an early goal. The pint-sized corner forward finished brilliantly leaving Peter Murphy with no chance.

The RGU then entered a period of inactivity which only yielded one more score which came near the full time whistle.

DJ Kane’s charges opted to knock the ball about without really threatening decisive moves forward.

Saval knocked over five on the trot with Havern accounting for three of them and Stephen Kearney and Niall Madine getting the others.

In between this flurry of post splitters, Downpatrick’s Gerard Collins and Liam Turley of Saval received their marching orders.

Despite this the game never opened up further and late scores from Hoops substitute Conor McCarron and Saval’s Havern saw Downpatrick take the win by the minimum.

Kevin Gracey at midfield was the RGU’s top exponent with Damien Turley excellent at full back and limiting the dangerous Niall Madine to just one point from play.

Sean Bell and Damien Braniff both defended and attacked with purpose, while Michael Magee tried to make things happen at centre half forward.

Pat Havern was Saval’s shining light with solid outings coming from Darren Cunningham in defence, Ryan Rice at midfield and Daniel McCarthy in the forwards.

Saval: P. Murphy, P. Clarke, M. Clarke, D. Murphy, J. Hughes, D. Cunningham, C. Murphy, R. Digney, R. Rice, D. McCarthy, D. Hughes, P. Havern (0-6, 3F), K. Rice (0-1), N. Madine (0-1), C. Sands. Subs: S. Kearney (0-1), L. Turley.

Downpatrick: I. Kearney, P. Smyth, D. Turley, C. MacNabb, J. Bell, G. Collins, S. Bell (0-2), P. Turley, K. Gracey (0-1), D. Braniff, M. Magee (0-2, 1F), C. McGrady (0-1, 1F), J. Fegan, C. Boyd, J. Shields (1-0). Subs: P. Telford, A. McNeill, C. McCarron (0-1), J. Collins.

Saval 0-9

Downpatrick 1-7

DOWN SFC GROUP D