Morgan Fuels Down SFC
Saul 1-13 Castlewellan 2-9
By Peter McGrath Jnr
SAUL bounced back from defeat to Bryansford with a narrow win over Castlewellan to reach the quarter-finals of the Senior Football Championship.
With no repeat pairings allowed until the semi-final stage, Saul could only meet Clonduff, Carryduff or Loughinisland, and when the draw was made they were paired with Carryduff (Saturday, Downpatrick, 3pm).
They will relish that challenge after showing their mettle to battle through to the last eight, breaking new ground in the process as it is the first time the club will have graced the quarter final stage of Down’s premier club championship.
The evening could scarcely have started in finer style for Saul.
Inside the first half minute, they found themselves a goal ahead. Pierce Laverty won the throw in and set his side on a swift drive forward and, following clever interplay, the midfield pairing of Rory Mullen and Justin Magilton were there at the end of the play as Mullen squared the ball and Magilton was on hand to apply the final touch as he batted it into the Castlewellan net.
After that lightning start a scoring lull ensued but, when the second score of the game did arrive, it too was a major.
Castlewellan broke down the right wing and Ryan McKibben’s pass found Gareth McKibben who spun round Joe Hayes and slotted low to the Saul net.
Buoyed by the goal, Castlewellan quickly moved to the front with a left footed Sean Dornan point and Enan Fitzsimmons boosted their position further from close range as he drove over to raise another white flag.
The sides were struggling to cope with the wind when they came into shooting range but Saul’s second score of the piece came midway through the first half.
On this occasion Magilton was the provider and Lorcán Harney. Enan Fitzsimmons and Rory Mullen traded fisted points, but both sides were guilty of squandering several scoring chances as the first half continued.
Pierce Laverty had a strong game and it was a powerful run from him that led to Philip Doran popping an equalising score over as the half drew to a close but Castlewellan responded in added time with Dara McVeigh firing a lovely kick pass in to Gareth McKibben who spun and pointed and emerging talent, Ryan McGrady, followed suit with a well struck shot.
Ciaran Harney nipped a free between the posts on the stroke of half time to cut the gap to the minimum but the scoreline of 1-5 – 1-4 failed to tell the story of what had been an open half of football.
The second period began in frantic manner with plenty of endeavour but both sides struggled with the slippery ball although Philip Doran showed no ill effects when he got the ball a long way out and sailed a terrific two-pointer to flip the lead.
Castlewellan responded immediately, Shea Croskery charging onto a Dara McVeigh through ball before crashing brilliantly to the top right corner of Jack Hazard’s net.
Castlewellan defended manfully for a period thereafter and Saul struggled to break them down.
When they did get a shot in, it tended to be off target but, to their credit, they refused to let it overly frustrate them. There wasn’t another score until the 47th minute.
Saul built an attack down the left wing and, under pressure from a couple of defenders, Ronan Connor fired a snapshot over them and between the posts.
Having rediscovered their scoring touch, Saul burst into life and, with Laverty again the instigator, Doran announced himself as the finisher to draw the sides level once more, with the game heading towards the decisive period.
The next score, Doran created and finished all by himself. With night falling, he flitted through the Castlewellan defence with the dexterity of a bat as he wove and wound round player after player before curling over.
Doran and Rory Mullen added points either side of a Gareth McKibben free at the opposite end but, with the Town facing a two-point deficit, McKibben stepped up again from further out to strike a two pointer off the ground from another dead ball.
That left the sides in deadlock with four minutes remaining. John Mahoney restored the Saul lead only for Ryan McKibben to cancel it out with a great reply.
Saul kicked the final point of the game courtesy of Philip Doran and, as much as Castlewellan pressed they were unable to draw level again as Saul held on for a famous win.
Saul scorers Philip Doran 0-7, Justin Magilton 1-0, Rory Mullen 0-2, Lorcan Harney 0-1, Ciaran Harney 0-1, Ronan Conor 0-1, John Mahoney 0-1 Castlewellan scorers Gareth McKibben 1-4, Shea Croskey 1-0, Enan Fitzsimmons 0-2, Ryan McGrady 0-2, Ryan McKibben 0-1
