Time Out - May 30: Sporting greats, Dates and a Quick Quiz Blitz to kick-start your day

Ulster Senior Football Championship first round: Donegal 2-10 Down 1-15 (after extra-time)

BENNY Coulter is one of the Championship game's arch-assassins.

Goals, the more dramatic the better, are Coulter's stock and trade.

He lives for the split-second when predator instincts come alive.

In the 86th minute of this twisting, turning quarter-final of hits and misses, Down's sharp-shooter struck.

Coulter will savour the replays for a few days. It meant the world to him to see the ball slam home as despairing defenders looked on.

He paid tribute to the calm vision and unselfishness of Danny Hughes and Martin Clarke, who orchestrated yesterday's match-winning chance.

The initial key to unlock Donegal was supplied by one of the six subs that James McCartan sent into Ballybofey's trenches, Conor Maginn robbing midfield giant Neil Gallagher.

Donegal's goalkeeper Paul Durcan could do nothing about it. A contender for the game's most influential player, Durcan had brilliantly saved to deny Coulter after 24 minutes.

He also produced a superb reflex moment of skill to fingertip away Dan Gordon's punched effort on 67 minutes with the tie all-square at 2-6 to 0-12.

But Mayobridge marksman Coulter, who gave former Allstar corner-back Karl Lacey a few torrid spells, made up his mind instantly as soon as

Clarke played him in.

“I knew as soon as it was coming through the air that I was taking it round the 'keeper. I took it round him and, empty net, I put a wee

cushion on it,” he said.

THE Antrim hurlers suffered a heartbreaking defeat at Parnell Park yesterday as they fell to Offaly on a 2-26 to 3-16 scoreline after extra-time.

What was most galling for the Saffrons was the fact that they had led by two points entering injury time, but a point from Dylan Hayden followed by a Shane Dooley 20-metre free in the 74th minute ensured a further 20 minutes of action.

The Leinster side had played much of the second half with 14 men after Derek Molloy had picked up two yellow cards, but this numerical disadvantage did not apply to extra time and they resumed with a full complement.

This, coupled with the momentum secured in the final stages of normal time, allowed them to overpower their opponents and they outscored Dinny Cahill's side on a 1-5 to 0-1 scoreline over the two additional periods to eventually ease home

BIG BEN STRIKES: Benny Coulter can't hide his delight after scoring an extra-time major to finally see off Donegal in the Ulster SFC first round tie in Ballybofey on Sunday May 30 2010