Down power past Donegal to secure Dr McKenna Cup semi spot 

CROWDED OUT: Down’s Pierce Laverty and Paddy McBrearty of Donegal. Pic: ©INPHO/Philip Magowan

Down 2-14 Donegal 1-10 

Conor Laverty’s first home match in charge of Down sealed a Dr McKenna Cup semi-final spot.

Against Paddy Carr’s Donegal, it was a first half for football and a second for fresh faces, with the home side 2-10 to 1-7 in front at the break and 22 substitutes made by the end. Liam Kerr and Conor Francis' goals in the first half laid the foundation, as did five scores from Pat Havern at full-forward.

Kerr came running through like a train on six minutes and, when found by Danny Magill, barely had to break stride as he shot low across Michael Lynch. That put Down 1-2 to 0-0 in front, with the first Donegal point of the new tenure going to Ciaran Thompson.

Although nothing has been confirmed in regards to the new captain following the retirement of Michael Murphy, it was Thompson who led the team on the day.

Four minutes later, Jamie Brennan set up Daire Ó Baoill for a simple tap-in goal. Play ebbed and flowed and both teams had their moments on top, with Havern becoming an important facet of the contest, with four first half points from play.

He had three in the bank by the time the first quarter rolled into the second, although it was 1-5 to 1-5 with McBrearty and Brennan to the fore.

Down, though, were to have their spell in the ascendency and made plenty from it before the break in a spell of 1-4 without reply. The goal, on 31 minutes from Francis, concluded a rapidfire movement of fistpassing. At the interval, Down led 2-9 to 1-7.

The benches rolled and the pace slowed, with the fourth official busier than the four umpires combined. Midway through the second period and, with the contest having got pretty untidy, both had only added one more point. Tom Close and a 45 from Anthony Doherty rounded off the scoring for the hosts. Luke Barrett put over Donegal’s last score.

“It is the opening day of the year and there is such a small window of opportunity to give lads, who have given so much effort in the last while, a chance to show they can hold their own at this level,” Carr, who gave nine senior debuts, said after.

Down scorers: Pat Havern 0-5; Conor Francis and Liam Kerr 1-1; Barry O’Hagan 0-2, 1f; Niall Donnelly, Patrick Branagan, Mark Walsh, Tom Close 0-1; Anthony Doherty 0-1, 45.

Donegal scorers: Patrick McBrearty 0-5, 3f; 1m; Daire Ó Baoill 1-0; Jamie Brennan 0-2, 1f; Ciaran Thompson, Johnny McGroddy and Kane Barrett 0-1.

Down: J O’Hare; P Fegan, C Fitzpatrick, P Laverty; P Branagan, N McParland, C Francis; N Donnelly, O McCabe; D Magill, L Kerr, R McEvoy; B O’Hagan, P Havern, E Brown. 

Subs: A Gilmore for Brown (28), P McCarthy and M Walsh for Fegan and Magill (40), T Close and M Rooney for McCabe and McEvoy (47), R Mason, D McAleenan and A Doherty for Branagan, Kerr and O’Hagan (57), M Ireland for Havern (62), S Dornan for Donnelly (67), D McClements for Gilmore (69) 

Donegal: M Lynch; S McMenamin, B McCole, J Grant; C McColgan, C Ward, J Mac Ceallabhuí; R O’Donnell, D Mac Giolla Bhride; L McGlynn, C Thompson, C O’Donnell; J McBrennan, P McBrearty, D Ó Baoill. 

Subs: R McFadden for O’Donnell (30); M Curran, J McSharry, J Bradley Walsh for Mac Ceallabhuí, McGlynn and Thompson and (half-time); B O’Donnell, JR Molloy and K Barrett for Mac Giolla Bhride, McColgan and Brennan (45), M O’Reilly for O’Donnell (58), H O’Donnell and J McGroddy for C O’Donnell and Ó Baoil (60).

Referee: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan).