Keenan’s red card aids Down victory

6 June 2012

DOWN didn’t scale great heights, they didn’t have to, when seeing off Fermanagh at an unseasonably cold Brewster Park in this Ulster SFC quarter-final on Sunday.

However, a win is a win, and it’s now upwards and onwards to face Monaghan in the semi-finals on June 24 — but improvement will have to made.

Neither side started that well and Aidan Carr (inset) missed a kickable free in the fifth minute before the home supporters were rocked to the core three minutes later when Daryl Keenan was red carded for an off the ball incident with Conor Laverty.

This handed Down the initiative and with 12 minutes gone Donal O’Hare, who had replaced Arthur McConville just before the ball was thrown in, registered the first score of the game.

Fermanagh battled back and Daniel Kille converted a 21m free in the 15th minute to bring the sides level again. Down were playing in fits and starts, but when they did click into gear they were like a well-oiled machine.

With 18 minutes gone Ambrose Rogers launched a counterattack. The ball was moved at speed in a series of hand passes before ending up with Aiden Branagan, but his shot from close in was brilliantly saved by Ronan Gallagher.

Down’s tails were now up and with 19 minutes gone Rogers split the posts with a good point from about 40m out. Another merciless Down attack a minute later produced a goal when the predatory O’Hare scrapped for possession in the square and he was perfectly placed to tuck the ball into an empty net after Gallagher was caught out.

Kevin McKernan immediately tagged on a point as Down surged into a 1-3 to 0-1 lead, but they then took their foot off the gas and the game went through a sterile period before Carr extended his side’s lead with a converted free in the 30th minute.

Another basketball-like passing movement in the 31st minute ended with Conor Maginn firing Down into a 1-5 to 0-1 lead and full back, Benny McArdle, got in on the act when he bombed forward to get his name on the scoresheet in the 32nd minute.

Fermanagh showed great resolve as they refused to capitulate and points from Damian Kelly and Kille before the break saw them go in 1-6 to 0-3 down.

Kalum King opened the second half scoring with a point from play, but Down went back to sleep again and another point from Kille in the 45th minute was followed by a goal from Kelly after he capitalised on a quickly taken free by Eamon Maguire to cut Down’s lead to just three points.

Daniel McCartan then became Down’s second member of the full back line to get in on the scoring act when he pointed from play to give his side a 1-8 to 1-4 lead after 48 minutes.

Kevin Duffin, who had just replaced Carr, marked his entrance to the game with a confident point in the 53rd minute and before long, Laverty had the ball in the net.

The Kilcoo danger man robbed full back, Barry Owens, sold ‘keeper Gallagher five woodbine and a couple of defenders a dummy or two before nonchalantly slipping the ball home to give Down a 2-9 to 1-4 lead.

Seamus Quigley responded with a pointed free for Fermanagh, but Darren O’Hagen completed the treble for the Down full back line when he too pointed from play in the 62nd minute.

Down were now content to play time out and Fermanagh put a bit of respectability on the final scoreline with points from Paul Ward, Tomas Corrigan and Seamus Quigley.

Fermanagh: R. Gallagher, N. Bogue, B. Owens, N. McGovern, D. Kelly (1-1), B. Cox, B. Mulrone, S. Lyons, E. Donnelly, D. Keenan, B. Og Maguire, M. McGrath, T. Corrigan (0-1), D. Kille (0-3), N. McElroy. Subs: C. Quigley for Cox, E. Maguire for B. Og Maguire, R. Jones for McGrath, S. Quigley (0-2) for McElroy, P. Ward (0-1) for Kille.

Down: B. McVeigh, D. McCartan (0-1), B. McArdle (0-1), D. O’Hagan (0-1), A. Branagan, K. McKernan (0-1), C. Garvey, A. Rogers (0-1), K. King (0-1), D. Hughes, M. Poland, A. Carr (0-1), C. Laverty (1-0), D. O’Hare (1-1), C. Maginn (0-1). Subs: K. Duffin (0-1) for Carr, E. McCartan for Poland, D. Turley for Branagan, D. Rooney for Rogers, A. McConville for Laverty.

Fermanagh 1-8

Down 2-10

ULSTER SFC QUARTER-FINAL

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