Down heartbreak in Christy decider

Down heartbreak in Christy decider

25 November 2020

THERE was despondency for Down in Sunday’s Christy Ring Cup final against a wily Kildare side who carried off the silverware at Croke Park.

The game was a tight one for the most part, although at key times Kildare’s sharp-shooting forwards were able to take advantage of several lapses in the Down rearguard. That ultimately would prove to be the undoing of the Mourne county.

As the second half wore on and Kildare held the advantage and the experienced heads in their team proved adept at closing the game out. They slowed things down and broke things up when necessary to try and disrupt Down’s attempts to fight back.

The first half was a tight affair but not as overly cagey as one may have expected of a final. Both sides were keen to show glimpses of the danger they possessed in an attacking sense and that made for a decent spectacle.

David Slattery claimed the first point to put Kildare ahead inside the first 15 seconds at HQ. Oisin McManus responded with less than two minutes on the clock to make it a level game at 0-1 apiece.

By the sixth minute, things were starting to unravel badly for Derek Dunne’s side. Brian Byrne and Paul Devilly added points to give Kildare a comfortable placing in the contest. That was further reinforced by Tadgh Forde’s goal after five minutes to take the score to 0-1 to 1-3. 

McManus helped Down back into the contest with a free. That was added to by two long range towering efforts from Pearse Og McCrickard and Timmy Prenter as Down cut the gap to two points. 

McManus came close to landing what would have been a superb score from out on the touchline, but his effort just did not carry enough fuel to make it over the Kildare bar.

On 13 minutes McCrickard delivered a wonderful score from a sideline cut to bring Down back to within a point. It was a delightfully-taken point from a man who was proving to be one of Down’s main sources of creativity in the opening quarter of an hour. 

Hearts were in the collective Kildare mouths seconds later when Sands, with his back to goal, spun neatly and got his shot away. It seemed to be heading over for a point, but rebounded back off the woodwork as Down were denied another score by the slenderest of margins.

McManus landed another score just the other side of the water break as Down levelled up with their sixth point.

Brian Byrne then edged Kildare back ahead with a 19th minute pointed free. Savage levelled the contest once more on 23 minutes as the to-and-fro nature of the early exchanges continued.

Two Bryne frees took Kidare ahead once more by 25th minute. James Burke’s minor score gave Kildare a three-point cushion at 0-7 to 1-7. 

Timmy Prenter then edged Down ahead once more as the half neared its conclusion. McCrickard’s score gave Down a boost in the 32nd minute when he pointed from an acute angle. McManus’ point on 34 minutes levelled the contest once more.

In first half injury time, Down suffered a body blow when Paul Divilly got free of the attentions of the defence and fired to the net to make it Kildare 2-7 Down 0-10 at half-time.

In the second half, Phelim Savage was introduced from the bench in place of Michael Hughes.

And it was another Hughes — Donal — who gave Sheehan’s men the perfect start to the second half when he fired over in the opening seconds.

McManus capitalised on Down’s restart on the front foot when he too got the better of some tight marking and registered another point to make it 2-7 to 0-12.

Kildare won a 37th minute free and used it well to steady their ship when Jack Sheridan floated the sliotar over the bar.

Four minutes into the half, came a pivotal moment in the contest when Byrne landed his fifth point for Kildare,and that was followed up just a short time later when Jack Sheridan scored their third goal to make it Kildare 3-9 Down 0-12.

McManus floated over a 40th minute free to help Down keep a foot-hold in the match and bring their score into double figures, and his own personal tally to seven points.

Kildare then gave away another sloppy free at a key moment. McManus again was their tormentor-in-chief when he was unerring with the 43rd minute effort to make it 3-9 to 0-14.

McManus continued his personal crusade to bring the fight to Kildare, when he engineered enough space for another minor score over the bar of McKenna in the 48th minute of an intriguing battle. Brian Byrne’s 51st minute free was slapped over with authority to move Kildare onto a 3-10 to 0-15 advantage.

McCrickard tried to redress that imbalance with a speculative 53rd minute long range effort which flew over the bar just before the water break. 

Substitute Paul Sheehan and Daithi Sands landed Down scores in quick succession before Brian Burke’s free put Kildare two ahead again on 0-18 to 3-11.

Byrne then repeated the trick in the 58th minute when his free went over, via the aid of the upright.

Jack Sheridan launched a huge effort on the hour which split the posts to extend Kildare’s lead to four points.

They put the icing on the cake with a 65th minute effort from out on the left wing from substitute Shane Ryan which crossed between the posts. 

Prenter and, most impressively, Conor Woods from a free tagged on more scores for Down as they closed to within a goal, leaving the scoreline Down 0-20 Kildare 3-14.

Prenter pulled another point back as the officials indicated there would be four minutes of added time, with Down in need of a ‘golden goal’.

Down were awarded a free two minutes into the injury time. However, McManus took his chance to land the point and put one score between them.

Down conceded a cheap free which Jack Sheridan landed from the ’65.

To compound Sheridan then landed another point as Kildare clinched the trophy.

The game was decided on fine margins and on another day Down could have come out on the right side of the result.

However that will have been of little consolation as they made their way home on Sunday night.

Down: S Keith, M Hughes, C Taggart, C Woods (0-1), B Trainor, T Murray, L Savage, M Conlon, J McManus, D Hughes (0-1), P McCrickard (0-4), T Prenter (0-4), O MacManus (0-9), E Sands, D Sands (0-1). Subs: G Hughes for Trainor (27), P Savage for M Hughes (H/T), C Egan for D Hughes (53), P Sheehan (0-2) for O MacManus (53), R McCusker for McCrickard (66).

Kildare: M Doyle, S Leacy, J Doran, N O Muineachain, C Shanahan, R Boran, K Whelan, C Dowling, P Divilly (1-1), B Byrne (0-7), J Burke (0-2), C Dowling, T Forde (1-0), D Slattery (0-1), J Sheridan (1-4). Subs: S Christiansen for Shanahan (43), S Ryan (0-1) for Dowling (51), K Aherne for Forde (54), C McCabe for Slattery (69).

Referee: C Mooney, (Dublin).

Down 0-22

Kildare 3-16

CHRISTY RING CUP FINAL