Goalkeeper Collins selects his all-time greatest Down team

Goalkeeper Collins selects his all-time greatest Down team

6 May 2020

THE early 1990s saw a return to the glory days for Down. The county was a footballing powerhouse once more, landing two All-Ireland titles in the space of three years and the players secured their place in GAA folklore.

An immovable force was their goalkeeper Neil Collins. He thwarted Meath in the 1991 and in 1994 memorably saved a penalty from Dublin danger man Charlie Coleman.

Now a youthful 55, Neil began his football career with Ballymartin and then with Drumaness. But he is best known for his association with Carryduff. He broke into the Down senior panel in 1988 and remained in the squad for ten years.

He remained a dedicated servant of Down long after his playing career ended. He managed the county U-21 team for three years, was goalkeeping coach of the senior team for six years and also a selector for three years when the team was managed by his All-Ireland-winning colleague, the late and much missed Eamonn Burns.

Neil hasn’t included himself in his 15 greatest Down players, but for the others don’t look much further than his team-mates from the early Nineties.

“These were the players I grew up with, so I have to stick with them. I’m too young to remember the Sixties,” he says.

“I had a great time with Down. Obviously the highlights were winning the two All-Ireland’s, but I have wonderful memories of the people I played with and all the friendships.

“Thanks to WhatsApp I am in contact with them every day. We had the 25th reunion of the 1994 team in Dublin last year and we also got together to remember the 25th anniversary of the Loughinisland tragedy.

“They are a great bunch of lads, but you can’t put a foot wrong, otherwise you would be pulled up very quickly.”

1 Pat Donnan (Attical) Pat was goalkeeper for the Down minors which won the All-Ireland title in 1977 and was goalkeeper for the senior team for many years. He was a great keeper and became a mentor to me. He took me under his wing and made me a better player. He was also generous with time and advice. A great goalkeeper and an even greater man.

2 Miceal Magill (Warrenpoint) This is the most difficult pick. It was between Miceal and Brendan McKernan, but I have gone for Miceal, largely because of his performance in the 1994 final which won him the Ulster Bank Man of the Match award. He had a fantastic game and never let Charlie Redmond get away from him. He was always comfortable with the ball and could read a game well.

3 Conor Deegan (Downpatrick) Conor was a tremendous athlete and he could take on the opposition’s biggest players. He always seemed to get on top of his opponents and I never once saw him roasted. He had terrific hands and he could read a game as well as anyone. He always encouraged those around him. He was a true team player.

4 Paul Higgins (Ballymartin) Paul was as hard as nails and he was also the quickest player in the squad, even faster than Mickey Linden. He dominated and bullied his opponents and he had great strength of character.

5 John Kelly (Carryduff) My Carryduff clubmate and a ruthless, nasty player in the best possible way. He was the sort of player nobody wanted to mark, whether in a match or in training. He would put his head where others feared to put their feet.

6 Barry Breen (Downpatrick) Another double All-Ireland winner. I first played with him at the Red High. Barry always seemed to have time on the ball. He played at a different level to everyone else. What set him apart though was that he could play with his head up and see what was going on. He was always looking for someone off the ball.

7 DJ Kane (Newry Shamrocks) Our captain in 1994 and an inspirational leader. DJ was one of the most competitive players I have seen in my life. He would not lie down and did not know what it meant to be beaten. It was win at all costs and he was someone you needed when things got bad.

8 Gregory McCartan (Ballymartin) A massive character both on and off the pitch. Gregory kept the craic going in the changing room and in the bar afterwards. But he was also a tremendous footballer. He could take a free with either foot. He put money on himself to get the first score in the 1994 final, which he did.

9 Eamonn Burns (Bryansford) An absolute gentleman, but a warrior on the pitch. He was quiet and unassuming, but had everything you wanted in a player. He scored two sublime points in the 1991, which we won by two points, so he played a huge part in getting us over the line. His death came as a great shock. He is a much missed colleague.

10 Ross Carr (Clonduff) A Rolls Royce footballer. He had a wonderful left foot and was one of our two main free takers. Ross had a massive amount of inward drive and challenged us all to perform to the same high standards which he set for himself.

11 Greg Blaney (Carryduff). Quite simply the best player I ever played with. He had it all. He was a brilliant ball player who made the forward line tick. He was always looking to play in James McCartan or Mickey Linden and wasn’t worried about scoring himself. An absolute team player.

12 Gary Mason (Loughinisland) A superb free taker, particularly when under pressure. He never failed us. In June 1994 he played for Down against Monaghan. It was the day after the Loughinisland tragedy. He must have been under enormous mental pressure and anguish, but he put on a massive exhibition and was man of the match.

13 Mickey Linden (Mayobridge) What can you say about Mickey? He was an absolute flying machine and totally dedicated to Down football. He was still playing county football at the age of 40. A player of exceptional ability and one of the nicest men you could meet off the pitch.

14 Peter Withnell (Drumaness) A big, strong one-man wrecking ball. He would hit opponents very hard and early on. Peter brought something different to the team and his game fitted in well with the players Down manager Peter McGrath put around him. Many of their scores came about because of him.

15 James McCartan (Tullylish) Confident and aggressive with the ability to find space where he had no right to. Every time James got the ball, there was a buzz in the crowd. He was man of the match in the 1991 All-Ireland final. He went on to manage Down and took them to the 2010 final.

Substitutes: Brendan McKernan (Burren), Aidan Farrell (Rostrevor), Liam Austin (Rostrevor), Ambrose Rogers Sr (Longstone), Ciaran McCabe (Castlewellan).