Donegal 1-15
SOUTH Down failed to reach the All-Ireland final and a dream showcase in Croke Park when they fell to an injury time free against the Championship favourites Donegal in Balella on Saturday.
However, after dominating the second half
and wastefully shooting 26 wides in 70 minutes, Donegal didn’t win the match as much as South Down lost it.
Donegal, playing with a strong breeze in the first half, opened the scoring on six minutes. South Down had five wides in the first 10 minutes and took until the 12th minute to open their account through a Liam Morgan free.
Donegal began to dominate play by the 15th minute and pulled ahead by four points to one. South Down kept in touch with a Paul Kelly point and a Liam Morgan free but had even more chances they failed to capitalise on.
On 29 minutes Donegal got a goal to leave them 1-05 to 0-3 ahead but South Down fought back and won themselves two frees which were converted by Liam Morgan. At the half time whistle Donegal were 1-06 to 0-5 ahead.
South Down’s second half performance is hard to describe, it was scintillating and exasperating at the same time. For 35 minutes they completely outplayed Donegal, but the forwards failed to push home the advantage through initially bad luck and later as panic set in, by bad decision making.
The two Down goals were the result of goal mouth scrambles. But there could have been many more as Donegal scrambled the ball off their goal line on at least a further six occasions as full forward Eoin McGuiness failed to get the luck his work rate deserved.
The other forwards were in a similar situation. They were winning ball, creating space and shooting. However they struggled to put the ball between the posts.
Of the forwards Mal Magee and Eoin McGuiness managed points from play in the second half. The two midfielders, Murphy and McAleenan added a point each and Patrick Pearse McCartan scored two great points from well inside his own half. In the second half alone South Down had 17 wides.
Up at the other end of the field during the second half the South Down defence was in brilliant form. The half back line of McGrath, McCartan and Brown got the upper hand and held firm. The full back line had its best game of the season.
But their best efforts were in vain as Donegal’s injury time free rubbished the saying that the best team always wins. South Down were by far the better team but Donegal won and so progress to play Tyrone in the final.
To add further insult to injury South Down have already beaten Tyrone at an earlier stage in the competition.
South Down: D Kearns, P McCusker, B McAleenan, L Deegan, J McGrath, PP McCartan (0-2, 0-1 frees, J Brown, P McAleenan (0-1), J Murphy (0-1), D Morgan, A McGuiness, M Magee (0-1), A Brown, E McGuiness (2-1), L Morgan (0-4 all frees). Subs: P Kelly (0-1) for A McGuiness (20 mins); P O’Neill for L Morgan (60 mins).
