Tracing Down’s upward curve
So far. To the casual observer, they may look to have emerged from nowhere but they have pedigree, having won minor All-Irelands in 1999 and 2005 and lost Under-21 finals in 2005 and last year. To Cork.
They were promoted to Division One after the National League and they scared Tyrone in the Ulster Championship before eventually being counted out.
They also have tradition. While they have only won five All-Irelands they have never lost an All-Ireland final and are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their first All-Ireland win this year. They have a great age profile, some outstanding players and a fine manager. They are the form team and it will be interesting to see if they can maintain their form line into September.
When Kerry analysed Down prior to our quarter-final clash, we were very impressed by them. From eight to 15 they are as good as any team in the country, with Ambrose Rogers and Kalum King forming a very strong, aggressive and mobile midfield. Rogers has a huge engine and is fantastic going forward as well as augmenting his defence.
If he is fit for the final it will be a huge boost for Down. King is a big man, provides a major physical presence, is very strong in the air and has a splendid workrate. Peter Fitzpatrick is their third midfielder and deputised very well for Rogers on Sunday. Previous to this he was introduced as a second-half replacement, mostly for King. He is also comfortable going forward as he showed repeatedly last Sunday. Each member of this triumvirate are very strong in the air. This is vital for Down as Brendan McVeigh drives his kick-outs to the middle of the field with little or no strategy.
The battle with the Cork midfield should be intriguing. Whichever Cork pair take to the field they will be quite happy in the knowledge that they are not dealing with a Cluxton and will get a chance to exert a strong influence on proceedings as McVeigh’s scuds land in the middle of the field.
Up front, Down have some sensational attackers. Marty Clarke is getting better all the time. He is fast becoming their talisman and is moving into ‘player of the year’ territory. He reminds me a lot of Ciaran McDonald when he was at his best in 2004. He shows well for ball and picks up great positions. He does tend to look for his brother John too much but that aside he more often than not takes the correct option. Last Sunday the pick of his passes was the superb kick pass to Fitzpatrick for his point into the Hill goals.
I doubt if anyone else in Croke Park even saw that pass. He also contributes on the scoreboard and is a decent free taker. Most importantly he combines a fantastic work ethic with his silken skills. Cork will have to detail a man marker on Clarke.
It will be interesting to see who gets this task.
Clarke is probably their most important forward but he is surrounded by excellent players. Benny Coulter has rediscovered his best form since he arrived in Croke Park. He was magnificent on Sunday. He is a goal machine and is very important physically as he balances an otherwise lightweight (if hardy) forward unit.
Danny Hughes and Mark Poland are big players for Down as both are foragers who can finish. With their lack of kick-out strategy, having men that can secure breaking ball is an absolute necessity. Both of these as well as Kevin McKernan at the other side of midfield are excellent exponents of this.
Paul McComiskey is another blue chip forward and while not at his best last Sunday is the kind of forward liable to explode into life on the big day.
Ronan Murtagh and Conor Maginn from their replacements also add to the team when introduced. Murtagh in particular has been in excellent form all summer. Their sole weak link up front is John Clarke. He is not a scoring threat, goes to ground very easily and does not even offer much of a physical presence. Maybe James McCartan feels that starting someone like Murtagh might upset the balance of the team and that all of his attackers might be too similar.
Surely Down have some weaknesses? While they have not yet been exposed, they do look vulnerable at the back.
They mask this deficiency by having an excellent defensive system. If a team build slowly, Down tackle back, getting lots of bodies into their half. They are quite happy to force teams laterally and will pass tackling duties along the line almost rugby-like.
The only way to breach this defence is to move the ball fast and get it in ahead of the cavalry. Because their forwards work so hard for the cause, not too many teams have managed to transfer the ball swiftly enough from defence to attack to trouble the Down rearguard.
Some of their defenders look dodgy when isolated in one-on-one situations. Dan Gordon at full-back is a converted midfielder come full-forward.
So far he has held his own but I think he could be vulnerable. Daniel McCartan is not a good defender and tends to foul too often. Conor Garvey also looks as if he could leak scores. On the other hand Kevin McKernan has really grown into the centre-back role and was outstanding on Sunday. He is particularly good going forward. Cork will try to get him on the back foot.
Right now Down are in the position that Cork were in last year. They are the form team heading into an All-Ireland final. However, Cork have one major advantage – the experience of last year.
No matter how much a manager talks about the lead-up to an All-Ireland nothing beats the experience of living through it. All-Ireland week is a different week and All-Ireland final day is a different day.
Can Cork make their experience count? Or will Down maintain their form line?
Time will tell.
