Martin’s goal decisive in narrow win for The Downs

The Downs 1-8, Coralstown/Kinnegad 0-10

Gerry Buckley

A goal from Ian Martin, at the end of a counterattack on the half-hour mark, proved to be the decisive score in last Saturday’s first Westmeath senior football championship semi-final played in pleasant conditions in TEG Cusack Park, at the end of which The Downs – who failed to score in the final quarter – had the bare minimum to spare against last year’s defeated finalists Coralstown/Kinnegad.

The game was a generally cagey affair – as had been widely expected – but the black and amber-clad outfit were deserving winners in the final analysis after surviving a late onslaught from Paschal Kellaghan’s troops, who had experienced sub Wayne Fox red-carded in the dying seconds as their frustration boiled over at another near-miss in their lengthy quest to regain the Flanagan Cup.

Neutrals’ predictions of a less-than-riveting encounter seemed to have been unfounded when Jack Torpey opened the scoring after 20 seconds and Luke Loughlin equalised soon afterwards from a free for The Downs, who had a slight wind in their favour in the first moiety. However, ten scoreless minutes ensued during which the shooting at both ends, from frees and placed balls, left a lot to be desired.

Niall Mitchell edged the winners ahead from a 12th-minute free after he had been fouled. A Darren Giles equalizing free was sandwiched between a brace of under-hit shots from Johnny Murray’s charges at the other end. Brían Cooney nudged Coralstown/Kinnegad ahead, despite his number 11 jersey hanging off him – he wore 32 for the remainder of the game – and Dan Leech doubled their lead in the 21st minute with a well-taken point. Loughlin and Cooney soon traded points from open play.

The undoubted turning point of the contest came approaching the end of normal time in the first half when Cooney blasted the ball off the crossbar when a goal beckoned and, within a minute, the ball was nestling in the losers’ net courtesy of the hard-working Ian Martin. One minute of added-time was played, leaving The Downs ahead by 1-3 to 0-5 at the interval.

The 2022 Leinster finalists increased their advantage to a clear goal by the 34th minute via points from the boots of Loughlin (after a great run by Joe Moran) and Andrew Kilmartin (a fisted effort). Josh Gahan responded with a great angled point, but The Downs quickly went four up with rapid-fire points from Kevin O’Sullivan (at the end of a fine move) and Loughlin (directly from the resultant misdirected kick-out). Torpey doubled his account from a 40th-minute mark before Philip Martin restored his side’s four-point cushion at the end of a patient move. It proved to be the winners’ last score of the afternoon.

Gahan kicked a bad wide from a mark, but sub Callum Cruise made an instant impression with a great free to leave a goal between the teams (1-8 to 0-8) with nine minutes of normal time remaining. Substitute Wayne Fox saw his shot come back off the upright as the men in red and white went all-out in search of scores.

When Eoin O’Brien kicked arguably the point of the day in the 58th minute, and sub Ger Leech added another within a minute, the prospect of extra-time loomed large. However, two Cruise efforts failed to trouble the scoreboard operator, and The Downs held on after more than four minutes’ injury-time at the end of which Fox was dismissed on the advice of a linesman.

Scorers – The Downs: L Loughlin 0-4 (1f), I Martin 1-0, A Kilmartin, K O’Sullivan, N Mitchell (f), P Martin 0-1 each.

Coralstown/Kinnegad: J Torpey (1m), B Cooney 0-2 each, J Gahan, E O’Brien, Darren Giles (f), D Leech, G Leech, C Cruise (f) 0-1 each.

The Downs: Trevor Martin; Peter Murray, Charlie Drumm, Eanna Burke; Joe Moran, Ciaran Nolan, Oisín Murphy; Jonathan Lynam, Conor Coughlan; Ian Martin, Andrew Kilmartin, Kevin O’Sullivan; Luke Loughlin, Niall Mitchell, Philip Martin. Subs used: Darragh Egerton for P Martin (52), Andrew Shaw for Murray (60+2), Matthew Cunningham for Kilmartin (60+2).

Coralstown/Kinnegad: Stephen McNevin; Ciaran Daly Snr, Daniel Woods, Jason Macken; Josh Gahan, James Maxwell, Liam Daly; David Giles, Eoghan Bracken; Jack Torpey, Brían Cooney, Eoin O’Brien; Shane Fleming, Darren Giles, Dan Leech. Subs used: Brian McGrath for Macken (inj., 36), Wayne Fox for Torpey (42), Callum Cruise for Fleming (50), Ger Leech for D Leech (50), Ciaran Daly Jnr for Darren Giles (58).

Ref: Declan Nugent (Maryland).