So easy for RGU as An Riocht are blitzed

So easy for RGU as An Riocht are blitzed

16 August 2017

DOWNPATRICK blitzed An Riocht with a power packed first half display to move into Round 2A of the SFC at Castlewellan on Saturday. 

The teams were level after 28 minutes, 1-7 to 2-4, before the Hoops hit the net twice to give themselves a healthy advantage going in at the break.

Taylor Louden opened the scoring with an RGU point, but in their first attack Kory Colgan put Rory Cunningham away and he crashed in a goal and should have added a second moments later, but sent his shot over the bar.

Neal Cunningham pulled a point back before Ruairi Quinn was left unmarked to shoot the Hoops’ first goal and a Jarlath Branagan free made it 0-6 to 0-4 after 15 minutes. 

Points from James Colgan and Declan Doyle tied things before Branagan pointed again. Noel McArdle pointed two frees to edge An Riocht back in front before, in the 26th minute, the Hoops goaled again when Garrett Trainor’s fierce drive was parried and Sean 

Bell, following in, found the empty net. 

Doyle and McArdle replied and at 0-10-each the game was going into added time when Downpatrick centre half Johnny Bell raced all of 60 metres through the middle with defenders in his wake before finding the top corner of the net for a spectacular goal. 

And it got better for Downpatrick when, with the last kick of the half, Michael Magee played the ball into the path of Trainor who picked his spot bottom left and planted a fourth goal.

An exchange of frees on the restart was followed by five third quarter points for Downpatrick, the pick from Ruairi Quinn, and the gap had almost doubled before Noel McArdle landed a third second half An Riocht free in the 53rd minute.

The Hoops, with the result long secured, ran in three unanswered points to complete a double scores victory, 4-14 to 1-10.

An Riocht: Stephen Doran, Liam Rodgers, Paul Allen, Conor McVeigh, James Cunningham, James Colgan (0-1), Conor Clarke, Ronan McAlinden, Kory Colgan, Deaglan Morgan, Aidan Sloan, Noel McArdle (0-6, 5f), Declan Doyle (0-2), Rory Cunningham (1-1), Adam White. Subs: Conor Cole, Conor Sloan, Brian Rodgers, Christopher Mulligan, John O’Rourke, Sean Clarke.

Downpatrick: James Deeny, Paddy Smith, Anthony Doherty (0-2, 1f), Gerard Collins, Taylor Louden (0-1), Johnny Bell (1-1), Neil Cunningham (0-1), Damian Turley, Peter Turley, Conor McGrady (0-2f), Kevin Gracey, Jarlath Branagan (0-2, 1f), Ruairi Quinn (1-3), Sean Bell (1-1), Garret Trainor (1-1). Subs: Michael Magee, Ryan Slavin, Conor Doherty, Owen McEvoy, Eoin Boyle (0-2).