Down turn record around with win over Carlow

FT: Carlow 1-13 Down 1-19, Dr Cullen Park, 4.30pm

HT: Carlow 0-10 Down 1-08

On each of the three previous occasions that Down’s footballers have entered the SFC qualifiers, they have come off second best. But Dr Cullen Park was a different story this afternoon as international rules forward Benny Coutler ruled the roost with 1-03 as the Mourne men saw off Carlow 1-19 to 1-13 in their first ever championships meeting.

Although the tireless Éire Óg forward commanded much of the crowd’s attention with his tally of seven points, Coutler drove Down back level at 0-05 apiece and volleyed home the vital goal.

A word too for goalkeeper Mickey McVeigh, whose two saves in either half from Mark Carpenter and Brian Kelly came at crucial times and with Down just a goal in front.

Both Carpenter and Kelly, and Johnny Nevin were on the score sheet early, helping Rea (0-02, 1f) and Carlow to a four-point lead with Coulter (free) hitting Down’s only reply.

With Mourne midfielders Gregory McCartan and Dan Gordon establishing a foothold, the Ulster men reeled off points from Aidan O’Prey (0-02), Coulter and nifty corner forward Dan Hughes to square it up by the eighteenth minute.

Then Coutler struck with a smash-and-grab goal, pinning his ears back and slotting coolly past James Clarke, after a good interchange with Hughes and Dan Gordon.

Nevin produced a quick response, and with Carbery scoring one for the direct route purists and cancelling out a Shane Ward effort, Carlow were back within two on 24 minutes. Seconds later McVeigh pulled off a fingertip save from Carpenter and enthused by this, Rea hit the closing two points of the half – the first a rangy ’45 and the second from an acute angle on the right wing saw Carlow just 0-10 to 1-08 in arrears at the interval.

Ward, Gregory McCartan (both point scorers in the first half) and half back John Clarke pushed that lead to three points, with Carbery responding, by the 45th minute. Substitute Ronan Murtagh then scored a quick brace to make it a six-point game at 1-14 to 0-11. Luke Dempsey continued to scribble on the sideline as Carlow, conquerors of Longford, sought a comeback.

Carbery’s point attempt reached down off a Down upright to find Kelly in space but McVeigh clambered a save away on 51 minutes. Rea left-footed a free over to close the gap two minutes later. After O’Prey and Ronan Sexton had pointed, Carlow substitute Tomas Walsh played in the pass that saw Carpenter finally beat McVeigh with seven minutes remaining. But four points was as tight as it got with Coutler, Ward, striking his third point and O’Prey stretched Down out to six-point winners.

Referee: J Geaney (Cork)