McCartan’s late strike does the trick for Down

Down 2-10

It was the deciding factor in yesterday's Bank of Ireland Ulster football semi-final in Clones, with former stars Paddy O'Rourke and Greg Blaney helping to pull the strings on the sideline and two more 'veterans,' Mickey Linden and James McCartan on hand to provide their experience when it mattered.

Yet, Fermanagh's dream of an overdue appearance in the final might very well have been realised but the loss of scoring chances on two separate occasions when they had the initiative.

What proved decisive was the second of the Down goals in the 56th minute goal. James McCartan was the scorer, a short time after being introduced and it was created by former Fermanagh player Shane King who had been roundly booed after he came on before him.

In remaining time, Down were so much in control that they were never going to be stopped in sharp contrast to earlier in the half.

Then, Fermanagh had made a spirited recovery aided by Down losing a player to take a lead they richly deserved. However, it lasted no more than six minutes.

Manager O'Rourke remarked afterwards that he hadn't been unduly worried after full-back Brian Burns had been dismissed.

"We just had to get re-organised and it left a bit more space up in our forward line," he commented.

"Down players like room traditionally they have and it worked to our advantage.

"They had us on the back foot but I always knew we would have a dominant period and when we did we took our chances. And, that was what won our game."

Fermanagh manager Dominic Corrigan wasn't quite dejected, but shared the frustration of his players that they hadn't done themselves justice.

The way he viewed it (from the stand), his team came back well after a bad second quarter to go from being six points down to be a point in front.

"At that stage we had four scoreable opportunities, took none of them and Down went up the field and got the goal. It gave them the initiative, but if we had got two or three more points, I don't think Down would have come back. We didn't and paid the penalty."

Fermanagh, who last reached a decider in 1982, made the early running to go two points clear by the 10th minute. However, while they were playing with a lot of conviction and subjecting Down's backs to a lot of pressure, they were not putting away enough of chances.

Once Down settled benefiting from the leadership of Alan Molloy at centre-back, an improvement at midfield and the probing play of Dan Gordon and Ronan Murtagh in the full-forward line they looked the more capable side.

With the sides level in the 19th and 21st minutes, Down raised their game to a different level in the period up to half-time.

Their forwards were much more threatening, where Fermanagh's had lost their early momentum, and an error by full-back Barry Owens (twice penalised for picking the ball off the ground) led indirectly to the first Down goal.

It came from a Gregory McCartan penalty after Gordon had got inside Owens to side-foot the ball to the net off an upright.

However, he wasn't given the advantage after being fouled. Following up with a close-in free from McCartan, Down opened up a six points lead before Fermanagh hit back with two late scores to leave it 1-7 to 0-6 at the break.

Similar to what happened at the beginning, Fermanagh also monopolised the play in the next ten minutes during which Down were reduced to fourteen men, and centre-back Kieran Gallagher was very effective in the role of the extra man.

Interestingly, however, Down coped well with a re-arranged defence (which saw Molloy cope well with Stephen Maguire, who had his best spell in the third quarter).

And, in general they played very positively, benefiting from the introduction of Shane King to the attack and later James McCartan and 39 year-old Mickey Linden.

And, the game had gone from Fermanagh before corner-back Ryan McCluskey was red-carded (following the intervention of John Bannon on the sideline) for a foul on King, in the 62nd minute.

That was because six minutes earlier James McCartan had put the ball in the net. King was also the central figure in the scoring of the goal, as McCartan explained afterwards.

"I thought the referee was about to blow for a penalty when Shane went down and I just roared at him. Shane just gave it at the last second and I managed to squeeze it in.

" If he hadn't allowed the goal, obviously he was going to have to give a free out. It was that close."

*Michael Monahan gave a fairly competent display of refereeing, keeping mistakes to the minimum.

Scorers: Down G. McCartan 1-4 frees; J. McCartan 1-0; L. Doyle 0-3 frees; R. Murtagh, C. McCrickard and B. Coulter 0-1 each.

Fermanagh: R. Gallagher 0-5 (0-4 frees); R. Keenan 0-2; R. McCabe 0-2 frees; S. Maguire and C. Bradley 0-1 each.

DOWN: M. McVeigh; J. Clarke, B. Burns, B. Grant; J. Laverty, A. Molloy, M. Cole; S. Ward (capt), G. McCartan; L. Doyle, M. Walsh, C. McCrickard; B. Coulter, D. Gordon, R. Murtagh. Subs: S. King for McCrickard (47th minute); J. McCartan for Grant (53rd); M. Linden for Walsh (67th); P. McCartan for Molloy (injured, 71st).

FERMANAGH: Ronan Gallagher; M. Lilly, B. Owens, R. McCluskey; S. McDermott, K. Gallagher, N. Cox; P. Brewster, M. McGrath; T. Brewster, Raymond Gallagher (capt), R. Keenan; R. McCabe, S. Maguire, C. Bradley.

Subs: A. Brady for Lilly (second half); S. O'Doherty for T. Brewster (65th); R. Johnson for Bradley (61st).

Referee: M. Monahan (Kildare).

*Attendance: 16,703.