Football

Down's Donal O'Hare has Monaghan in his sights

&nbsp;Donal O'Hare is Down's main scoring threat as they plot Monaghan's downfall in Clones<br />Picture by Philip Walsh
 Donal O'Hare is Down's main scoring threat as they plot Monaghan's downfall in Clones
Picture by Philip Walsh
 Donal O'Hare is Down's main scoring threat as they plot Monaghan's downfall in Clones
Picture by Philip Walsh

Ulster Senior Football Championship

THE landscape has changed considerably since Down last faced Monaghan in the Ulster Championship - not least for Donal O’Hare.

Back in 2012, he was a novice at inter-county level. Brought into the panel by fellow Burren clubman James McCartan, O’Hare was only dipping his toes in the water.

Glowing performances at club, minor and U21 level – not to mention his role in St Colman’s, Newry’s 2010 Hogan Cup triumph - marked him out as one for the future.

But with the likes of Allstar forwards Benny Coulter and Danny Hughes at his disposal, and Conor Laverty, Conor Maginn and Mark Poland adding guile, McCartan was able to pace O’Hare’s introduction onto the inter-county scene.

There was no need to rush – until an unexpected turn of events saw him thrust into action.

“I suppose I was still U21 and Wee James was still nursing me in,” he said.

“At the time, Benny Coulter broke his ankle and I had an opportunity there. I grabbed it and I suppose I haven't looked back since.”

Coulter’s misfortune opened the door for O’Hare to make his Championship debut against Peter Canavan’s Fermanagh, and he announced his arrival by scoring 1-1 early on.

Three weeks later, O’Hare played a major part in one of the greatest comebacks in Down’s illustrious history.

Trailing Monaghan by nine points minutes before half-time in the Ulster semi-final, an Aidan Carr penalty sent them in at the break with renewed hope and the force of the Mourne momentum in the second half saw Down overwhelm the Farneymen to snatch a one-point win.

O’Hare converted five frees to keep McCartan’s men in touch, but it was the experienced heads – including an inspired performance from Coulter off the bench - who dragged the red and black back into the game.

Fast forward four years, and 24-year-old O’Hare is now one of those experienced heads, one of the leaders of a new-look Down team.

Indeed, in terms of where their scores are going to come from as they plot an ambush in Clones tomorrow afternoon, much of the county’s hopes of causing an upset rest on his shoulders.

Despite sitting out two of Down’s seven National League defeats - against Monaghan and Kerry – through injury and suspension, O’Hare still scored a third of the Mournemen’s final tally of 60 points.

The Burren sharpshooter also grabbed Down’s only two goals in a dismal campaign that saw them relegated to Division Two, so his value to Eamonn Burns’s side cannot be downplayed.

Two-time All-Ireland winner Burns spent much of the League campaign attempting to resolve Down’s defensive issues, especially after shipping 0-22 to Kerry in Newry, and O’Hare admits he has had to adapt.

“I suppose I had to,” he said.

“A lot of boys came in and took their chance and they have got their jerseys now. I have to say it has fairly developed for the Championship and everybody seems to be enjoying the build-up so far.

“Once the League finishes, you automatically turn to the Championship. It can't come quick enough now.”

While Malachy O’Rourke is heading into his third year in charge of Monaghan, and during that time he has led the Farney to Ulster titles in 2013 and 2015.

Burns, meanwhile, is the third man to wear the bainisteoir’s bib in Down during the same period.

You couldn’t blame O’Hare for looking enviously at the managerial stability in other counties, but he doesn’t see it that way.

“It's different managers who bring different sides out in boys. They want to contest and prove to the next manager that they can do it.

“I suppose their fitness and other aspects, they have to prove that. The managers we have played under, every one of them want success just as much as we do. The fact there are new managers coming in might be a good thing for us too, that we can raise our game.

“Results this year maybe did not reflect that, but we are definitely performing to the best of our ability.”

A weekend break in Carton House last month helped bring the panel closer together but, outside of the group, few are giving Down any chance of ending Monaghan’s reign as Ulster kingpins.

Yet there were some positive signs towards the end of the League. They held their own against All-Ireland champions Dublin at times, and the narrow defeat to fellow relegation battlers Mayo in Castlebar on the final day was played at a ferocious pace.

O’Hare is encouraged by how Down played coming into the Championship, and refuses to let the naysayers influence his preparation for another crack at the Anglo-Celt.

“I tend to keep away from negative talk, to be honest,” he said.

“But results can't lie. We lost seven out of seven going through the League. So we go into the Championship as huge underdogs and that's something as Down men we have got to get used to this past couple of years.

“This group of players are just as ambitious as the last group of players. Hopefully in the Championship we can get on a good run, get a bit of silverware and put some pride back into the jersey for the fans.”