Favourites slump but Down fly high on Tailteann springboard 

JOYOUS: Down’s Niall Kane and Danny Magill celebrate. Pic: ©INPHO/Leah Scholes

Tailteann Cup quarter-final: Cavan 0-15 Down 1-17 

Down landed a haymaker in the dregs of the game at Kingspan Breffni to kill Cavan’s hopes of redemption in the Tailteann Cup.

Danny Magill’s goal (68) sealed the fate of last year’s finalists and left the Mourne County looking towards reaping an even greater harvest in the semi-finals of the competition.

In-form Down attacker Pat Havern exuded optimism at the final whistle.

“The manager told us before the game that this was a day that we could use as a springboard to achieve something big and we intend building on this,” the Saval clubman beamed.

“Conor (Laverty) had a lot of confidence about him before the game and that rubbed off on us.

“He said this was a day that could define our football careers and we could use it as a springboard towards getting our hands on some silverware and hopefully this win will help us get there.” 

Down’s football early on mirrored the day itself, bright and breezy. In contrast, the hosts looked off-colour.

The sides shared four points before Rory Mason and Liam Kerr (14) put the visitors into a lead that they were to retain for the rest of the half.

On three occasions in the first half, Down let Cavan off the hook by firing over, instead of under, the bar, while Cavan laboured from open play. Down led 0-9 to 0-7 at the break.

However, Cavan levelled by the three-quarter mark (0-10 apiece) as the game became a see-saw affair with neither team managing to secure a secure grip.

With 15 minutes left to play, an upset was in the air as Cavan trailed by 0-11 to 0-14, prompting Mickey Graham to place Blues’ talisman Gearóid McKiernan on the edge of the square.

Down held firm though and Liam Kerr’s classy left-footer (63) maintained his side’s two-point lead after a gem from Oisín Brady got the biggest cheer of the day from an otherwise subdued home support.

But it was Down’s fans who raised the roof with Magill punishing Cavan’s ball-watching from point-blank range to seal the deal.

“Today is not a day for making big decisions and we’ll let the dust settle for a while,” Cavan boss Graham remarked.

“It’s very disappointing ‘cause we had hoped to go one better this year in the competition but I’ll have a chat with the major shareholders, the players, first of all and chew it over after that.” 

Cavan scorers: O Brady (0-8, mark, 5f) P Faulkner (0-2); O Kiernan (0-1); G McKiernan (0-1, f); B Boylan (0-1); C Madden (0-1); T Madden (0-1).

Down scorers: L Kerr (0-4); P Havern (0-4, mark, 2f); R Mason (0-5, 2f); D Magill (1-1); P McCarthy (0-1); R Johnston (0-1); S Annett (0-1).

CAVAN: R Galligan: C Reilly, P Faulkner, N Carolan; Ciarán Brady, O Kiernan, Conor Brady; G McKiernan, K Clarke; C Madden, D McVeety, T Madden; B Boylan, G Smith, O Brady.

Subs: R O’Neill for Conor Brady (inj, 22); C Moynagh for B Boylan (57); J McCabe for C Reilly (61); C McGovern for G Smith (72).

DOWN: N Kane; P McCarthy, P Laverty, A Doherty; M Rooney, C Doherty, P Branagan; D Guinness, O Murdock; L Kerr, R Mason, D Magill; E Branagan, P Havern, R Johnston.

Subs: S Johnston for E Branagan (43); R McEvoy for P Laverty (59); S Annett for R Johnston (66); G Collins for R Mason (72).

Ref: S Mulhare (Laois)