Ballycastle Chronicle - Sports - Down dash Derry’s hopes

Sports

Down dash Derry’s hopes

Thursday, 28 January 2010

DOWN dashed Derry's hopes of a semi-final berth in the Barrett Sports Lighting Dr McKenna Cup with a deserved 1-15 to 1-13 win last Sunday afternoon in Celtic Park.
Following their 3-16 to 1-7 mid-week win over Queens the Oak Leaf men were hoping for any sort of win over Down that would have given them at least one more competitive outing ahead of the start of their Division 1 league campaign in a couple of weeks time. However after falling a full nine points behind in the second half, showing admirable battling qualities to draw level with five minutes left Derry succumbed to two late points to lose out to the Mournemen. The victory was enough to see Down into the semi-final where they will meet Donegal; Tyrone meet Fermanagh in the second semi.
This game only really came to life after Down had taken what seemed an unassailable lead seven minutes into the second half. Former Aussie Rules star Martin Clarke, a second half substitute for Down, rifled home a penalty when his initial spot kick was well saved by Martin Dunne to put his side 1-10 to 0-5 ahead. Then Clarke added a stunning point from a '45' the ball still rising as he thumped it over the bar, Down now nine points clear. By this stage Derry had shown little by way of real enterprise but they reeled off five points in a row in a sustained period of tidy football, the small crowd had at last something to get excited about as only four points separated the sides with fifteen minutes left. A Seamus Bradley goal then reduced the gap to two before Derry seemed to have taken the wind from the Down sails as Aidy McLaughlin levelled matters with five minutes left. At that stage there seemed to be only one winner, the home side, but not so as Down finished strongly. Two points, the last from a free, from Paul McComiskey were enough to get Down over the line to top their group and into the semi-finals.
The sides were level 0-2 each after a tame opening eleven minutes, Seamus Bradley and Liam Hinphey scoring for Derry while John Clarke and Calum King replied for Down.