Late Moffatt goal seals victory for The Downs

The Downs 4-11, Coralstown/Kinnegad 1-13

These two neighbours squared up to each other in the first of the football league finals at TEG Cusack Park on Friday evening.

It was a final free of much of the scientific coaching that has led Jim Gavin’s team to make revolutionary proposals for next year as the teams focused on attacking football. The Downs won both halves and were leading by 2-5 to 1-5 at the break, but still had to sweat as their rivals refused to bow the knee.

The victors led by six points after 13 minutes and were five clear with 12 minutes to play, but a spirited Coralstown/Kinnegad side refused to read the script. They outscored The Downs, 0-4 to 0-1, in an eight-minute spell to set up a dramatic finish before a late Billy Moffatt goal sealed victory for the black and ambers.

The Downs drew first blood when Matthew Cunningham converted a mark and the same player cut through for a great goal in the seventh minute, following a one-two with Billy Moffatt. The latter pounced to score their second major on 11 minutes when Shane Carroll’s shot dropped in the danger area and ‘keeper Stephen McNevin hesitated, allowing Moffatt to flick the ball to the net.

It was a lively contest and Coralstown/Kinnegad earned a 16th minute penalty that was decisively slotted to the net by Ger Leech. The sides scored three points apiece during a tit for tat second quarter – Clive Kiernan’s ‘45’ leaving just a point between the teams after 26 minutes. Kiernan’s accuracy from placed balls impressed and a few great strikes showed the value of a skill sadly lacking in the county’s flagship football side in previous weeks.

The Downs ultimately outscored their opponents, 2-6 to 0-8, in the second half to take the title – the goals coming from Jack Carroll (after Cunningham’s shot was saved) and Billy Moffatt, who was set up by substitute Daniel Keena deep in added time to put the seal on a deserved, if hard fought victory.

The two goals don’t tell the full story as Coralstown/Kinnegad made this an intriguing and entertaining final in their ability to respond to adversity. Trailing 3-8 to 1-9 after 48 minutes, many teams would have thrown in the towel, but with local bragging rights at stake, that was never likely. Neil Carty, Enda Leonard and Ger Leech (two frees) got four nice scores to leave it finely balanced, but a fine point from substitute Ben Harte seemed to ease The Downs’ nerves two minutes into injury-time.

It followed Jack Carroll’s free and a minute later, Moffatt removed any uncertainty when he found the net for the game’s fifth goal.

County Committee Chairman Frank Mescall presented the trophy to Cian Carty of The Downs after the final whistle.

Scorers – The Downs: J Carroll 1-4 (0-2f), B Moffatt 2-1, M Cunningham 1-2 (0-1m), S Carroll 0-2 (2f), T Nolan and B Harte 0-1 each. Coralstown/Kinnegad: G Leech 1-4 (1-0 pen., 0-4f), C Kiernan (2 ‘45s; 1f) and E Leonard 0-3 each, J Kiernan, P Quinn and N Carty 0-1 each.

The Downs: Senan O’Driscoll; Gavin Murphy, Shane Murtagh, Nathan Lynott; Eoghan Murray, Cian McCourt, Matthew Cunningham; James Drumm, Oisín Loughlin; Tadhg Nolan, Anthony Nolan, Billy Moffatt; Cian Carty, Jack Carroll, Shane Carroll. Subs: Ben Harte for Moran (37), Lorcan Mullen for Drumm (37), Taylor Daly for Lynott (46), Oisín Murphy for S Carroll (51), Daniel Keena for McCourt (inj., 60).

Coralstown/Kinnegad: Stephen McNevin; Jack Quinn, Jack Cole, Cillian Curran; Alexandre Ajeigbe, Luke Leacy, John Kiernan; Fergal Dardis, Ciaran Daly Jnr; Podge Quinn, Rory Cole, Neil Carty; Enda Leonard, Clive Kiernan, Ger Leech.

Ref: Ken Gunning (St Mary’s, Rochfortbridge).