EirGrid All-Ireland U20 semi-final: Down 1-10 Roscommon 2-13
THE pain of defeat was etched across every Down face as they made their way from the changing rooms into the cool night air outside Kingspan Breffni.
Conor Laverty, the figurehead of a run that delivered Ulster title glory just eight days before Saturday’s devastating All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Roscommon, struggled for words.
“Lads,” he offered on his way back across the hall after addressing the victorious Roscommon players, “I honestly don’t have anything to say.”
A few minutes later Laverty would emerge and try and to make sense of it all, but the hurt was clear to see.
Young and old, they were all in the same boat. Sean Boylan - the legendary Meath man who has seen it all across a career that included some memorable battles with the Mournemen - looked shell-shocked after as he leant against a wall, chatting to county chairman Jack Devaney.
There’s little doubt this one will take a bit of time to digest, the wounds likely to remain open for a while yet.
And it’s not just because they were seen, from the outside at least, as favourites to progress. It’s not just because an opportunity to grace Croke Park on one the biggest days in the calendar has now disappeared.
What will hurt most of all is that they had it right there, in the palm of their hands – leading by two with five to go, only to see it fall apart as Roscommon ripped the rug from under them, landing 1-5 without reply either side of a straight red card shown to Down captain Shealan Johnston to set up an All-Ireland final date with Offaly on Sunday.
“Listen, it turned into a battle. The conditions led to that and I just felt maybe Roscommon responded to it that wee bit more than us tonight,” said a deflated Laverty.
“They’re only young lads and I couldn’t be any prouder of them. They gave everything they had and they did us proud. That’s the game we love – there has to be a winner and there has to be a loser.
“Our first goal was to win the Ulster Championship and I’m sure whenever the dust settles the boys will be delighted with that. But at this minute in time, we had ambitions of being the best team in Ireland and we just fell short of that.”
And perhaps the extra bit of freshness helped Roscommon in the end.
After all it was back on July 21 when they saw off Mayo in the Connacht decider, nine days before Down needed extra-time to see off Monaghan an emotionally-charged Ulster final that was postponed for a week following the tragic death of Farney captain Brendan Og Duffy.
Not that the Mournemen are offering up any excuses, but it is hard to escape the feeling of one that got away.
The wet ball and the sodden turf wreaked havoc in the early stages but it was Down who eventually wrested control around the middle, the added presence of goalkeeper Charlie Smyth – who plays midfield for Mayobridge - helping the cause.
Still Roscommon struck the first major blow in the 11th minute when the strong, stocky James Fitzpatrick cut right through the heart of the Mourne rearguard exchanging passes with Conor Lohan before punting home past a static Smyth.
The two best performers on the field were wearing three on their back, Colin Walsh a defensive rock for the Rossies who marshalled John McGovern brilliantly, while Ryan Magill produced heroics all evening in red and black.
He helped swing the momentum back in the Mourne County’s favour, first tipping a goalbound shot from the raiding Gavin over the bar in the 26th minute and, as half-time loomed, getting a fist in to break up another Roscommon raid.
Lohan’s men were looking to bring their 1-5 to 0-7 lead into the break but the Burren man had other ideas though, bounding up alongside Ruairi O’Hare, receiving the ball from the Saul man before surging towards the square and finding McGovern.
The Ballyholland man spotted captain Johnston free and the Kilcoo man produced an unerring finish, firing in off the bar as Down led at the short whistle.
An O’Hare free and a Danny Magill point, minutes after another effort came back off the bar, left Laverty’s side 1-9 to 1-6 to the good with 36 minutes on the clock. Having bagged five of the previous six scores, it was one-way traffic.
The pace and directness of Danny Magill - son of 1994 All-Ireland winner Miceal - was a threat all night and when he was brought off minutes after picking up a yellow card, Roscommon found it easier to pen the Mournemen in.
Another brilliant Ryan Magill intervention prevented Fitzpatrick finding the net again but the Rossies were pushing hard now.
By the time Johnston saw red for a dangerous challenge on Walsh, the writing was on the wall, McDermott rolling into an empty net to kickstart the celebrations in the seventh minute of added time after Charlie Smyth - and everybody in red and black - had pushed up in search of the goal that might haul them back into it at the death.
It wasn’t to be, and it was regrettable that such an impressive campaign should end with a flurry of cards being waved in Down’s direction – including a straight red for Tom Close – as frustration momentarily got the better of them.
Hopefully in time they will reflect on the pride restored in a county shorn of much to get excited about for so long, and the hope of better days to come.
Down: C Smyth (0-2, frees); R Magill, L Toal, A Morgan; T Smyth (0-1), P McCarthy, T Fettes; O Murdock, T Close; D Magill (0-2), S Johnston (1-0), R O’Hare (0-2, one free); A Gilmore (0-2, 0-1 free), E Brown, J McGovern (0-1). Subs: P McMullan for Fettes (20), S Og McCusker for D Magill (44), S Croskery for Brown (47), J Clarke for McGovern (53), J Murtagh for O’Hare (58)
Yellow cards: T Fettes (17), D Magill (39), J Clarke (60+2), T Smyth (60+9), S Og McMcCusker (60+9)
Red card: S Johnston (60), T Close (60+9)
Roscommon: C Carroll; C Lohan, C Walsh, D Gaughan; P Gavin (0-2), T Crean, R Fallon; K Doyle, E Crawley; B O’Carroll (0-2, 0-1 free), D Cregg (0-5, 0-1 free), D Heneghan; R Dolan (0-1), A McDermott (1-1), J Fitzpatrick (1-1). Subs: S Trundle for Crawley (40), C Carthy (0-1) for Heneghan (40), J Lohan for Crean (44), D Wynne for Dolan (46), J Doory for Gaughan (53). Blood sub: C Carthy for Heneghan (19 - reversed 22)
Yellow cards: R Dolan (33), C Lohan (48)
Referee: B Cawley (Kildare)
