Old boys return to hit Cavan

9 January 2013

AN experimental Down side opened their McKenna Cup campaign with a hard-earned win at Breffni Park.

However, it took impressive performances from Brendan Coulter and Liam Doyle to help see Down over the line after being introduced as substitutes.

Don got away to a flying start with a goal from the returning Paul McComiskey inside the first four minutes when he combined with Connaire Harrison and Aidan Carr before drilling the ball past a helpless Alan O’Mara.

Ryan Boyle tagged on a point before Cavan registered their first score with a point from Gearoid McKiernan. Back came Down and a free from Danny Savage and a point from Harrison extended the visitors’ lead.

Cavan responded well and dominated the remainder of the first half with four consecutive scores taking them to with a point of Down.

Coulter, who had replaced Conor Garvey, and Harrison lofted over quick points for Down, but Cavan continued to create scoring chances and points from Martin Dunne, his fifth of the half and one from McKiernan left the sides level at the break 1-5 to 0-8.

Cavan continued to hold sway at the start of the second half, but they were extremely wasteful in front of the posts and all they had to show for their efforts was a 38th minute point from the reliable Dunne.

Coulter sent over the equalising score after good work from Savage and although Dunne fisted Cavan back in front, Down soon took command with the introduction of Doyle and Conor Laverty.

Ryan Kelly levelled from a free, Doyle did likewise and then carved out an opening for Harrison with the Glasdrumman man firing Down into a two-point lead.

Dunne and Doyle exchanged points before Kelly put Down into a clear lead with only minutes remaining. Cavan had one final chance of salvaging something from the game, but Dunne fired over the bar instead of going for goal.

Down manager James McCartan was happy with the performance, but agreed that his side could do with a few more big men.

“Down is always full of good footballers, but there aren’t many 6’ 2” men around. If the All-Ireland was about Sevens football we would win it year in, year out, but unfortunately we have to make do with what we have,” he said.

“Guys that are small in stature have to make up for it with work rate and energy. I felt at times in the first half we were flat in terms of that and we asked them to provide energy.

“ We were probably disappointed in the first half with how many scores we conceded. We weren’t putting tackles in, so we said to them ‘If you’re going to make the effort to get back to defend, make a tackle instead of just coming back and watching the ball go over the bar.

“Look, it was a gutsy performance. Cavan have certainly been training longer than us and you don’t get anything easy in Breffni. They certainly put it up to us and asked a lot of questions.

“Maybe in the end we brought on experience to win the game, maybe that was the difference.”

Cavan: A. O’Mara, O. Minagh, P. O’Reilly, K. Brady, J. McCutcheon, A. Clarke, D. O’Reilly, T. Corr, G. McKiernan ()-3), C. Mackey, N. McDermott, N. McKeever, K. Meehan, D. McKiernan, M. Dunne (0-9, 0-2 frees). Subs: N, Murray for Meehan, O. O’Connell for Murray, D. Barkey for Minagh, M. Brady for McCutcheon.

Down: M. Cunningham, D. McCartan, B. McArdle, R. Boyle (0-1), C. Garvey, G. McAnulty, D. O’Hagan, K. King. K. McKernan, D. Savage (0-1 free), A. Carr, P. Turley, R. Kelly (0-2, 0-1 free), C. Harrison (0-3, P. McComiskey (1-0). Subs: B. Coulter (0-2) for Garvey, L. Foyle (0-2 frees) for Carr, C. Laverty for Savage, O. Costello for Turley, Carr for King.

Cavan 0-12

Down 1-11

McKENNA CUP

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