Final flurry sees Down past Cavan in the McKenna Cup
Bank of Ireland Dr. McKenna Cup Round 3, Pairc Esler, Down 10/1/2024
Down landed five points unanswered in second-half injury time to seal a win in this thrilling clash at Páirc Esler.
A slightly fortuitous 16th-minute goal from Brían O’Connell was all that separated the sides at the end of an exciting, if a little error-strewn, first half of action.
Cavan, spurred on by Man of the Match Oisin Brady who notched 0-7 from play, looked to have done enough when they opened a six-point lead 11 minutes into the second half but superb goals from Odhran Murdock and sub Rory Mason saw the Mourne men take the win.
The hosts were wasteful, kicking 10 wides and dropping a number of very poor efforts short, but they stepped it up in the closing stages. While Cavan recovered from the goals to lead by two again entering injury time, their kick-out came under huge pressure late on and Down made their momentum count with that late flurry of scores from Pól Quinn, Pat Havern (two), Oisin Savage and Rory Mason.
Cavan had opened with intent, Paddy Lynch converting a 45 and Oisin Brady adding one from play, but Down quickly took charge, reeling off four in succession through Pearse McCabe, Liam Kerr, Oisin Savage and Gareth McKibben.
Lynch (free) and Pat Havern traded scores as Cavan started to get some joy from long, direct ball to the full-forward line. From one, James Smith pointed and then O’Connell saw his rebound hit the net to make it 1-4 to 0-5.
Odhran Murdock hit back quickly but the missed chances were mounting up and the visitors punished Down with two well-taken Oisin Brady points to go in leading by three.
This clash had the feel of a throwback, with endless turnovers and contests, but it looked as if the result would be one-sided when Cavan reeled off three in succession from Tiarnan Madden, Oisin Brady and James Galligan to lead by 1-9 to 0-6.
Down ended 30 scoreless minutes with a point from Pierce Lavery and the game turned on its head in the space of three minutes when Mason buried the ball to the top corner and, soon afterwards, Murdock tore through the centre and also blasted home.
The Blues responded well through Lynch, Padraig Faulkner and Brady and even when Havern – who came to life when Killian Clarke went off on the three-quarter mark – fired over, sub Jack Tully fisted one to restore the Breffni lead.
The impressive Brady landed two more – he probably should have had a goal from the second chance – but Down kept battling. With the momentum behind them, they pinned Cavan in and produced those five late points to win it in a remarkable finish.
Odhran Murdock, Rory Mason (free) (1-1 each); Pat Havern (0-5); Oisin Savage (0-2); Gareth McKibben, Liam Kerr, Pearse McCabe, Pierce Laverty, Jack McCartan, Pól Quinn (0-1 each)
Oisin Brady (0-7); Paddy Lynch (0-3, 45, 1f); Brían O’Connell (1-0); Paddy Lynch (0-3, 45, 1f); James Smith, J Tully (0-1 each)
J O’Hare, P Fegan, R McEvoy, F McElroy, D Guinness, P McCabe, P Laverty, O Murdock, J Flynn, G McKibben, L Kerr, J Guinness, A Gilmore, P Havern, Oisin Savage
R Mason for P McCabe (ht), J McCartan for J Guinness, P Quinn for A Gilmore (both 43), C Francis for G McKibben (46), N McPartland for J Flynn (51), A Doherty for F McElroy (63), G Collins for P Laverty (63)
F O’Rourke, O Kiernan (Denn), K Clarke, K Brady, J McLoughlin, O Kiernan (Castlerahan), B O’Connell, J Galligan, P Faulkner, T Madden, O Brady, G Smith, P Lynch, J Smith, C O’Reilly
R Brady for J Smith (ht), E Finnegan for K Clarke (46), P Smith for B O’Connell (53), J Tully (0-1) for C O’Reilly (51), P Smith for T Madden (67), C McGovern for G Smith (68)
Diarmuid Boylan (Monaghan)
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