Joe Moran (The Downs) tries to get away from Shane Fleming and Danny Woods.

Loughlin leads the way in narrow win for The Downs

Luke Loughlin replicated his recent fine run of inter-county form to very good effect for his club last Sunday evening in a well-attended and very humid TEG Cusack Park, as two of the main contenders for the Flanagan Cup produced a terrific contest for the early-comers in which The Downs edged out Coralstown/Kinnegad by the narrowest of margins.

The neighbouring clubs have been widely tipped as two of the likely challengers to champions St Loman’s, Mullingar and, on the evidence of this very entertaining opening game of last Sunday’s Westmeath senior championship double-header, they both look set for progressive campaigns.

Ger Leech opened the scoring by converting a very difficult free for Coralstown/Kinnegad in the fifth minute. However, their opponents dominated the ensuing six minutes and rattled over three unanswered points therein from the boots of Kevin O’Sullivan, Jonathan Lynam (moments after an unconverted ‘45’), and Luke Loughlin (taken with trademark aplomb). Leech soon doubled his account with a fine score from open play.

The scores were coming thick and fast at this juncture, and the first green flag was raised in the tenth minute when Niall Mitchell picked out the inrushing Conor Coughlan who duly rifled the ball past Stephen McNevin. Point exchanges followed between Loughlin (a fabulous sideline kick) and Ciaran Daly Jnr (after soloing goalward), and Lynam (a great score from a tight angle) and Brian Cooney (despite stumbling).

In the closing stages, the standard of football was not as good as it had been earlier. Callum Cruise opened his account before Lar Wall’s charges spurned three good chances to increase their advantage. Ian Martin belatedly did so in the 28th minute. The red and white-clad side almost got in for a soft goal but there was no further scoring at either end before the half-time whistle, at which stage The Downs led by 1-6 to 0-5.

Charlie Drumm’s shot came back off the butt of the post some 50 seconds after play resumed and, within a minute, the ball was nestling in The Downs net – a swift counterattack ending with David Giles feeding Eoin O’Brien who finished in style (remarkably, replicating his opposite number 5 in so doing). A delightfully-curled free from Leech levelled the scoring, and Cruise’s second point (at the end of a laboured move) edged Liam McNeill’s troops a point ahead (1-7 to 1-6) with 36 minutes on the clock.

The men in the famous black and amber jerseys responded in style by firing over three points without reply courtesy of Loughlin (who started and finished the move), Tom Tuite (a free), and Joe Moran (the ball hopping over McNevin’s crossbar). Leech converted another difficult free at the other end, and when David Giles repeated Moran’s feat with a shot which hopped before reaching its destination, it was 1-9 apiece after 47 minutes.

Tit-for-tat point scoring ensued between Mitchell (after a teasing Loughlin delivery) and Cooney (a great team score), the respective number 14s Danny Woods and Loughlin (a fabulous 50-metre free taken from the ground), and Loughlin and sub Podge Quinn. Cooney did very well to tee up Cruise, but his goal attempt was too close to Trevor Martin. It was left to the multi-talented Loughlin to win the day for his side with a classy point in the second minute of added-time.

Scorers

The Downs: L Loughlin 0-6 (1f, 1s/l), C Coughlan 1-0, J Lynam 0-2, J Moran, N Mitchell, K O’Sullivan, I Martin and T Tuite (f) 0-1 each.

Coralstown/Kinnegad: G Leech 0-4 (3f), E O’Brien 1-0, C Cruise and B Cooney 0-2 each, David Giles, C Daly Jnr, P Quinn and W Fox 0-1 each.

The Downs: Trevor Martin; Darragh Egerton, Peter Murray, Éanna Burke; Conor Coughlan, Mark Kelly, Joe Moran; Jonathan Lynam, Charlie Drumm; Ciaran Nolan, Niall Mitchell, Kevin O’Sullivan; Ian Martin, Luke Loughlin, Tom Tuite. Subs used: Jack Carroll for Tuite (43), Dean Egerton for I Martin (56).

Coralstown/Kinnegad: Stephen McNevin; Jason Lynch, Ciaran Daly Snr, Josh Gahan; Eoin O’Brien, David Giles, Eoghan Bracken; James Maxwell, Ciaran Daly Jnr; Callum Cruise, Shane Fleming, Darren Giles; Brian Cooney, Danny Woods, Ger Leech. Subs used: Wayne Fox for Darren Giles (h-t), Liam Daly for Woods (h-t), Podge Quinn for O’Brien (55).

Ref: Brendan Keena (Ballynacargy).