Down prepare to face Mayo

Down prepare to face Mayo

1 August 2012

DOWN stormed to a mouth-watering All-Ireland quarter-final showdown against Mayo at Croke Park on Saturday with a deserved win over Tipperary at Mullingar.

A scrambled goal four minutes into added-time from Benny Coulter at the end of the first half ultimately proved to the decisive score in a well-contested fourth round qualifier tie in front of 3,620 spectators in Cusack Park, on Saturday afternoon.

Trailing by just two points after 38 minutes in the first half and having played against the wind, Tipperary looked well poised to extend their impressive campaign into August.

The referee, who had an inconsistent game overall in his interpretation of the rules, had stipulated three minutes’ injury-time, but a further delay saw an extra minute correctly added, during which Kevin Duffin’s shot came back off the upright.

In the scramble which ensued, Conor Laverty attempted to poke the ball home before Benny Coulter got the vital touch to send the Mournemen into the sanctuary of the dressing rooms with a five-point lead 1-6 to 0-4.

There had been very little between the sides up to Coulter’s goal, despite Tipperary’s failure to open their account until the 23rd minute, at which stage Down had five points on the board, the latter two both coming from defenders, Dan Gordon and Brendan McArdle.

Gordon’s impressive fetching close to his own goal area had been important in his side’s clean sheet for 22 minutes, while Alan Maloney spurned a glorious goal chance for the Premier County in the 13th minute, trying to place his shot from close range rather than opting for power.

This opportunity followed a half-chance of a goal at the other end following good play from the Mark Poland, whose two early points had settled his side.

On the change of ends, Philip Austin narrowed the gap with a point within 30 seconds of the resumption of play.

Centre half forward Austin was later withdrawn, as were both midfielders and centre half back, Robbie Kiely, an indicator that the team was not performing in key areas of the pitch.

Points from man of the match Ambrose Rogers, Kevin Duffin, a terrific free from the ground,

and Benny Coulter had Down seven points ahead by the 41st minute.

The sides then traded two points apiece before Tipperary rallied well with points from Alan Maloney, three, including one free), and a great score from substitute Brian Mulvihill, to leave them within a goal of the beaten Ulster finalists with six minutes of normal time remaining.

However, Down, urged on by the vast majority of the attendance, responded well to the challenge and Mark Poland rounded off a patient move with a point, quickly followed by a fisted score from Rogers, after a tremendous run into the heart of the Tipperary defence.

The Munster men, whose recent underage heroics would suggest that they will be back in the closing stages of the senior championship in the years ahead, almost conjured up the goal they craved in the dying moments via Brian Mulvihill, but it is Down who deservedly advance to the last eight.

Down: B. McVeigh, N. McParland, D. Gordon (0-1), D. O’Hagan, A Carr, C. Garvey, B. McArdle (0-1), A Rogers (0-4, 1f), K. King, C. Maginn, M. Poland (0-4, 1f), K Duffin (0-1, f), E. McCartan, B. Coulter (1-2), C. Laverty. Subs: K. McKernan for Carr (48), L. Doyle for McParland (52), D. O’Hare for McCartan (55), A. Brannigan for Duffin (60)

Tipperary: P. Fitzgerald, A. Morrissey, P. Codd, C. McDonald, A. Campbell, R. Kiely, B. Fox (0-1), G. Hannigan, H. Coghlan, R. Ryan, P. Austin (0-2), D. Leahy, A. Maloney (0-3, 1f), P. Acheson (0-1), M. Quinlivan (0-3, 2f). Subs: B. O’Brien for Ryan (h/t), B. Mulvihill (0-1) for Austin (54), R. Costigan for Hannigan (55).

Down 1-13

Tipperary 0-11

ALL-IRELAND QUALIFIERS