Electric Ireland Ulster Minor Football Championship quarter-final
Down 0-11 Armagh 0-8 (after extra-time)
DOWN won their way into a semi-final meeting with Tyrone thanks to a dour extra-time victory over fierce rivals Armagh at Pairc Esler.
The Mourne youngsters led almost all the way in normal time, but the gritty visitors battled back from three points in arrears to draw level on 60 minutes. However, in extra time Down proved to be the better team.
Their manager James McCartan was honest in his assessment after the game.
“It probably wasn’t a great spectacle. Certainly Armagh put it up to us. I was expecting to win today, expecting to win in normal time but Armagh refused to go away. In the second half they clawed their way back into it – and deservedly so.”
Armagh manager Paul McGrane was equally honest as he said: “It could have gone either way. It was a tight match. The boys showed great determination and great heart and our tackling was excellent. We fought for everything.”
Down began well and after just 40 seconds Ryan Connolly crashed a drive off the Armagh crossbar. But it was the visitors who edged in front seconds later, Eoin Woods pointing from the left flank.
However, Down knocked over the next four points through Justin Clarke, Ryan Connolly and two from the deadly Sheelan Johnston.
The home side were in control in the opening quarter, but Armagh bounced back with two points in quick succession, from Connor Doherty and Louis Hughes.
However, the Mourne boys went into the half-time break with a three-point advantage, from Justin Clarke (twice with frees) and Sheelan Johnston, the latter hitting an outrageous effort from way out on the right touch-line. In between these scores, James Clarke sent over an Armagh free.
The second half was memorable for the fact that Down didn’t score at all, while Armagh began the half by reducing a three-point gap to two when Eoin Woods pointed straight from the restart.
Yet it took another 28 minutes before the scoreboard man was called into action again. On 59 minutes the impressive Woods once more pointed. And sixty seconds later, full-forward Connor Doherty levelled the game with another tidy score.
Down made up for their second half scoring drought by immediately taking control in extra-time, the speedy Johnston putting them in front on 65 minutes before firing over a classy score from long range. Substitute Adam Crimmins put them three in front with mere minutes left to play, and although Caolan Reavey reduced the gap to two, with time almost up, Johnston ensured there would be no comeback for Armagh.
Down: D Sheridan, D Fegan, L Toal, R Tumilty, P Brookes, G Fitzpatrick, L Brannigan, A Morgan, M Cunningham, S Campbell, J Clarke (0-3: black card replaced by P Quinn), P McMullen, T Close, R Connolly (0-1), S Johnston (0-6); Subs: T Smyth for Close (37), B Boyd for Brooke (43), A Crimmins (0-1) for Connolly (51), E Brown for Tumilty (60), T Fettes for Campbell (65), T Saul for Boyd (70)
Armagh: C McParland, L Rice, R Duffy, S McVerry, L Finnegan, M King, N McCorry, J Martin, J Cunningham, T O’Hare, L Hughes (0-1), E Woods (0-3), P Finnegan, C Doherty (0-2), J McCormack (0-1); Subs: P Murray for O’Hare (ht), D McCarthy for McVerry (ht), O King for Martin (54), A Davidson for L Finnegan (59), P McGrane for Duffy (62), C Reavey (0-1) for McCormack (70)
Referee: Pat Clarke (Cavan)
