Heartbreak for Down minors

Heartbreak for Down minors

22 December 2020

JAMES McCartan has announced he has taken charge of his final game as the Down Minor footballers’ manager.

The two-time All-Ireland winner confirmed his departure in the wake of Sunday’s Ulster Championship defeat to Fermanagh at Brewster Park.

He said: “I told the boys that was my last game. I’ve had five years and have had a really enjoyable time. Unfortunately it hasn’t been able to get us any silverware. We thought this year that would come to fruition but it was not to be.”

Down were fancied to progress to the last four, but the tie turned in a key ten-minute period before half-time when the Erne county landed four unanswered points to take a 0-7 to 0-2 lead into the interval.

Down did give themselves a big shot in the arm early in the second half when Niall Toner found the back of the net. Fermanagh, however, quickly regained their composure to push on for victory.

It was a disappointing climax to the game for Down as both sides had little to separate them in the opening exchanges.

Zach Murdock and Niall Toner landed placed-balls for Down as they started strongly.

Fermanagh responded through influential duo Ronan McCaffrey and Conall Boyle, before McCaffrey pointed once more to give the Erne side the lead from a free at the water break.

The game swung decisively in Fermanagh’s favour after the restart.

Down lost Oran Cunningham to a black card and the home side enforced their numerical superiority. Ronan McGivern, Conor McGovern and Fionan O’Brien scored to leave five between the sides.

Down came out strongly in the second half. Niall Toner gathered up possession on the left flank and delivered a wonderful finish to cut the deficit back to just two points.

However, Fermanagh kept them at arm’s length with scores from O’Brien and Cillian Murray to see them clear at 0-9 to 1-2.

Oisin Savage and O’Brien then traded points before Down’s hopes took another blow when they were reduced to 14 men. Tony McCartan was red-carded. 

A further Savage free on 48 minutes cut the gap back to three points. This proved however to be the final point of the game. Down were guilty of a number of imissed chances from promising positions, with Murdock squandering a good chance to find the back of the net. His effort was well-saved by Fermanagh’s Ross Bogue.

Down boss James McCartan was a frustrated man at the end of the contest.

“I think we scored five out of 20 and they scored ten from 11,” he said. “You can’t have a scoring return like that and hope to be competitive.

“The boys, to their credit, kept plugging away to the end, but we were not affecting the scoreboard.”

Fermanagh: R Bogue, N Maguire, U O’Reilly, D Bogue, C Boyle (0-1), F O’Brien (0-3), C Leonard, D King, J McDade, M Prusakiewicz, R McCaffrey (0-2), R McGovern (0-2), M Flanagan, C Murray (0-1), C McGovern (0-1). Subs: D Flanagan for D Bogue, S Conlon for Murray, E McCabe for King, E Prunty for Leonard.

Down: C Grant, F McEvoy, P McCarthy, L Guinness, J Kelly, R Magill, E McKernan, O Murdock, J Howlett, N Toner (1-1), O Cunningham, O Savage (0-2), T McCartan, Z Murdock (0-1) C Rodgers.

Subs: E Loughran for Howlett, W Kelly for J Kelly.

Referee: C McDermott (Antrim).