A flurry of Down scores in the opening 10 minutes of the Allianz Football League Division 3 clash with Wicklow helped the visiting side take the victory in Aughrim.
Conor Laverty's men pushed out to double scores at 0-14 to 0-7 thanks to a run of four wicked scores with Oisin McConville's side always chasing their tails from then on.
What looked to be a situation of some promise for the home side at the break soon turned into 35 minutes of pure frustration as Down, driven on through fine showings from the likes of Pierce Laverty, the excellent Daniel Guinneas, Odhran Murdock, Liam Kerr and Pat Havern, made a mockery of the strong breeze blowing into their faces, dominating the Wicklow restarts and firing over some sweet scores.
Rory Mason’s effort 10 minutes in defied all known laws of physics as it embarked on a ridiculous trajectory from boot to black spot and beyond.
When Oisin McConville closed the door of the dressing room after they left the field at half-time, the conversation must have been about how well they were in this game, trailing by just three points at 0-10 to 0-07 and having left three glorious goal chances behind them, all while playing against a wicked breeze that was blowing straight down towards the town goal.
Down had opened superbly, racing out to 0-3 to 0-0 ahead, and then 0-6 to 0-3 before finishing strong to leave it 0-10 to 0-7, Pat Havern, Daniel Guinness, Odhran Murdock, Finn McElroy and Liam Kerr the tormentors in chief while the home supporters couldn’t get away from the worrying concern that those three missed goal chances would come back to haunt them.
And they would.
Down surged ahead relentlessly from the second Alan Coyne threw in the ball for the start of the second half with full-back Pierce Laverty storming up the field and rifling over a beauty, followed quickly by two from Pat Havern and that scientific anomaly from Rory Mason who had literally just stepped onto the field as a temporary replacement for the injured Laim Kerr.
Wicklow lost free-taker Chris O’Brien to injury after nine of the second half and although they hit two on the bounce, the first from Brian Nesbitt (free) and the second from Kevin Quinn (mark), Down would charge out to a 0-17 to 0-9 lead with 15 minutes remaining.
The final score showed Wicklow outscored Down by 0-04 to 0-01 in the last 15 minutes but the translation of that would reveal that Down’s mission was complete, and the goals Wicklow needed were never going to come.
It’s a superb start to the Division 3 campaign for an ambitious Down side, but a home defeat that could prove costly come the business end for Wicklow.
Wicklow: Shane Doyle; Tom Moran, Matt Nolan, Jack Tracey; Joe Prendergast, Paddy O’Keane, Jacques McCall; Dean Healy, Craig Maguire; Chris O’Brien (0-05, 4f), JP Nolan (0-01, f), Cathal Baker; Brian Nesbitt (0-03, 2f), Kevin Quinn (0-04, 1m, 2f), Johnny Cartin.
Subs: Oisin McGraynor for C O’Brien (44, inj), Gearoid Murphy for JP Nolan (50), Declan Doyle for J Carlin (55), Gavin Fogarty for J McCall (62), Darragh Fee for C Baker (62)
Down: John O’Hare; Peter Fegan, Pierce Laverty (0-01), Ryan McEvoy; Finn McElroy (0-01), Daniel Guinneas (0-04), Paddy McCarthy; Odhran Murdock (0-01), Johny Flynn; Ryan Magill, Liam Kerr (0-03, 1m, 1f), James Guinneas; Gareth McKibben, Pat Havern (0-05), Oisin Savage (0-01).
Subs: Shealan Johnston for J Guinneas (28), Conor McCrickard for G McKibben (32), Connor Francis for F McElroy (H/T), Rory Mason (0-02, 1f) for L Kerr (temp, 44, reversed after 50), Rory Mason for O Savage (65), Ryan Mcgill for N McPartland (62). Anthony Doherty for L Kerr, temp, 68, inj),
Referee: Alan Coyne (Westmeath)
