Seventh heaven for goal hungry Downs side

The Downs 7-7, St Paul's 1-3

The Downs welcomed St Paul's on a beautifully sunny and bright Wednesday evening for the Division 5 League decider. The men in black and amber would put up an impressive score-line on home turf, and St Paul's were helpless to stop it. After a competitive first 15 minutes, The Downs took control and brought an eleven point lead in with them at half-time, and it was one where they would build on in the second half to devastating effect.

For the first 15 minutes, there was little sign of the black and amber tide that was about to be unleashed. The Downs did find the net after two minutes, after Dylan Crowley took full advantage of Harry Doyle’s attempt which crashed off the post, and slotted in the opening goal. St Paul's responded well; Oisin McGuinness converted a free a minute later, and a minute after that, Evan Rooney made a great central run. He then pulled on the loose ball with his right foot and the ball found the bottom corner. Rooney would point after 15 minutes, when The Downs fired in goal number two a minute later. Rían Gilhooley was the one to strike the ball on the ground this time, and goalkeeper Jamie Hood was left with no chance.

The Downs would now click into a gear that proved impossible to contain. A minute after Gilhooley found the net, Harry Doyle caught TJ Loughlins 30 metre free, and the corner forward turned and tucked the ball into the far left-hand corner. Three minutes after that, the fourth goal would arrive; Tiernan Coyne’s free went through the hands of goalkeeper Jamie Hood and trickled over the line before the St Paul’s defence could clear. The hosts were relentless, and the fifth goal wouldn’t be far away; Harry Doyle tipped the ball onto Dylan Crowley, who rounded the goalkeeper and slotted in his brace on 28 minutes. Rían Gilhooley would point in added-time to send The Down 5-1 to 1-2 ahead at the interval.

No letting up

St Paul's would secure their final score of the match three minutes into the second-half thanks to Calvin Spaight. The Downs would then restart the blitz a minute later, when after Rian Quinn would point moments after he came in as a substitute, Lee Sheridan would slot home a penalty on the rebound, after his initial attempt crashed against the post. Harry Doyle and Dylan Crowley would point from play, and Tiernan Coyne and TJ Loughlin would convert from frees, before Loughlin’s 45 in the 55th minute flew all the way into the net past a crowded box. Tiernan Coyne would complete his brace of frees in added-time, and also drew the match to an end, leaving The Downs victorious.

The Downs Scorers: Dylan Crowley 2-1, Tiernan Coyne 1-2 (0-2frees), Harry Doyle, TJ Loughlin (1-0’45, 0-1free) and Rían Gilhooley 1-1 each, Lee Sheridan 1-0 (1-0penalty), Rian Quinn 0-1

St Paul's Scorers: Evan Rooney 1-1, Oisin McGuinness (0-1free) and Calvin Spaight 0-1 each.

The Downs: Oisin McCormack; Senan Whelehan, Ethan Bradley, Conor Donohue; Sam Doran, Ronan Murtagh, Rhys Colgan; TJ Loughlin, Corey Barron; Lee Sheridan, Tiernan Coyne, Rían Gilhooley; Harry Doyle, Dylan Crowley, Odhran Mitchell

Substitutes: Roy Mangan for Senan Whelehan (6-13 blood-sub), Rian Quinn for Corey Barron (33), Roy Mangan for Senan Whelehan (37), Jack McGuire for Odhran Mitchell (39), Luke Kenna for Sam Doran and Diarmuid Staunton for Harry Doyle (43).

St Paul's: Jamie Hood; Eoin Waters, Usher Peter, Hunter Morrissey; Shane Cox, Niall Muldoon, Logan Skey; Oisin McGuinness, Kai Flynn; Evan Rooney, Faustas Kactus, Ross Henry; Calvin Spaight, Danny Ball, Billy Bray.

Substitutes: Paudi Nelligan for Billy Bray (16), Dara Boice for Shane Cox (35), Cillian Brady for Usher Peter and Aaron Dolan for Shane Cox (36), Shane Heaney for Ross Henry (49), Billy Bray for Cillian Brady (50).

Referee: Noel Morgan.