Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final:
Down 0-13 Antrim 0-9
Antrim’s search for a win in the Ulster Senior Football Championship goes on after losing out to Down in Pairc Esler, Newry on Saturday evening. The Saffrons gave their all, despite being short a host of players, but in the end came up four points short of a Down team, who looked but a shadow of the team who beat Antrim in the league at Corrigan Park a few weeks ago.
Trailing by 3 at half time Antrim looked to be in real bother coming out to face the stiff breeze in the second half, but they battled for everything in that second period and were unlucky to lose the second period by a single point. They missed a succession of chance and appeared to be very unlucky when Conor Hand was bearing down on goal and somehow put the ball to the wrong the side of the post with a goal looking certain.
Down started positively and went two clear with points from Ryan McEvoy and Pat Havern as Antrim struggled to get to the pace of the game. However the Saffrons began to settle and two points, one of them a real beauty from Ryan McQuillan brought them level, though Down kicked on again with points from Rooney and Murdock as they went on to lead by 0-6 to 0-3 at the end of a disjointed first half.
With wind advantage in the second period Down increased their lead to four soon after the restart and again you began to feel the game was getting away from Antrim. However they stuck to their guns and two quick points from Marc Jordan and Eoghan McCabe kept them very much in touch. However each time they were within touching distance again Down were able to pick off a score and keep them at bay. An exchange of points by Antrim’s Marc Jordan and Down’s Liam Walsh keeps the gap at four.
When Antrim intercepted a Down attack Ruairi McCann broke away and when the Creggan man set up Eoghan McCabe the chance of a goal was on, but McCabe just sent it a few inches too high and the chance of goal was gone.
A bad injury to Antrim defender Eunan Walsh after a collision with his own man saw and extra nine minutes added the play, but the stoppage appeared to have killed the Antrim momentum and Down held out to win by four and seal a place in the next round against either Armagh or Fermanagh.
Down: J O’Hare; P Fegan, R McEvoy 0-1, C Doherty 0-1; M Rooney 0-1, P Laverty, D Guinness 0-2; C McCrickard, O Murdock 0-1; S Johnston, L Kerr 0-1, R Johnston 0-1 (0-1m); B O’Hagan, P Havern 0-1 (0-1f), D Magill.
Subs: O Savage 0-3 (0-2fs, 0-1m) for Havern (23), E Brown for McCrickard (47), S Annett (0-1) for O’Hagan (52), R Magill for S Johnston (61), R Mason for Magill (74).
Antrim: M Byrne 0-1 (0-1 45); R Boyle, E Walsh, K Keenan; D Lynch, J Finnegan, D McAleese; C Hynds, M Jordan 0-1; C Hand 0-1, P McBride 0-1 (0-1f), E McCabe 0-1; R McQuillan 0-3 (0-2fs), R McCann 0-1 (0-1f), D McEnhill.
Subs: N Burns for McEnhill (HT) P McAleer for Boyle (52), E Hynds for Walsh (67), P Shivers for McQuillan (76).
Referee: B Cassidy (Derry).
