Eoghan Sands: 'We are looking to bring that enthusiasm back into Down hurling'

Down full-forward Eoghan Sands grabs possession ahead of Paul Kenny before firing his side's second goal in the Christy Ring Cup semi-final last year

As a kid, Eoghan Sands was laughed at in primary school for saying he wanted to be a Down hurler when he grew up.

But it was Sands who was the one laughing last Saturday at Páirc Esler, Newry as the Mournemen scored a first-ever hurling championship win over Offaly to secure a place in Sunday’s Christy Ring Cup final, against Kildare, and promotion to the Joe McDonagh Cup.

The full-forward was Down’s top-scorer from play across normal and extra-time in a dramatic semi-final, hitting 1-2, and although he strikes the penalties for his club, Portaferry, Sands was not included in management’s five-man penalty pick when the two sides could not be separated after an hour and a half of action.

Goalkeeper Stephen Keith proved the Down hero, saving three penalties before scoring the winning penalty to send his team into the decider.

Minutes prior to the shoot-out commencing, Keith offered Sands his place in the Down line-up of penalty takers. The full-forward declined the offer and what followed thereafter was “fairytale stuff”.

“It is a bad job whenever your full-back and goalkeeper is hitting them before your full-forward,” Sands quipped of the Down players asked to participate in the shoot-out.

“I would have put my hand up to take one. As I said, I hit them for the club. Management picked the five. Stephen actually came to me, he knew I wanted to hit one, and said, ‘do you want to hit mine and I'll step aside’. I said to him, 'look, he's picked you, it is your time'.

“It was almost fairytale stuff the way it worked out. We missed two, then they scored and it was looking like we were going out. Stephen then pulled off three saves and it was just set up for him to win it. Stephen has been soldering with the county for years.

He's the oldest member of our squad, he's our captain, so I was absolutely delighted for him. When he stepped up, I had no doubt he was going to put it away.

“We actually have a bet for the county final if I ever get a penalty against him, there is a bit of money riding on it, but I haven't got one against him yet. He said to me after last weekend's game, ‘do you still fancy that bet?’”

Sands is joined in the full-forward line by his brother, Daithí, the pair’s father, Noel, having hurled for Down in the 80s and 90s.

“I grew up on stories of Down's great run in the 90s. They played Division 1 for a few years, they won three Ulster championships in six years (1992, ‘95, and ‘97). They had a couple of great days out. They beat Kilkenny at Nowlan Park in the league in ‘93, DJ Carey was playing. They beat Offaly a few times. Now, they got a great few hammerings as well.

“I grew up hearing them stories. That is what I would have aspired to do. I remember in primary school somebody asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I said a Down hurler, they kinda all laughed at me.

“This team, we are looking to make our own mark and bring that enthusiasm back into Down hurling.”