Moloney and Tuite shine as The Downs limp to victory

Paul Hughes

“Can do better” was The Downs bainisteoir Dermot Power’s message on Sunday afternoon, as the often sloppy and lacklustre Westmeath kingpins limped past a game Clonguish side in their Leinster Club SFC opener at TEG Cusack Park.

The black and ambers were odds-on favourites to progress, but minutes after the throw-in, it became abundantly clear that they faced a battle royale. Clonguish took an early three-point lead as The Downs struggled to settle, conceding avoidable frees, running into defensive traps and giving the ball away cheaply. However, goals from Luke Loughlin and Michael Moloney provided a steady half-time footing, and the back-to-back Flanagan Cup winners were expected to kick on.

But The Downs’ first-half shortcomings returned, and a fit Clonguish, led by the deadly accurate Michael Flynn, harried them constantly. With five minutes remaining, the Longford men held the momentum and a one-point lead. However, late scores from Luke Loughlin, Moloney and sub Kevin O’Sullivan dragged The Downs over the line.

O’Sullivan – still struggling with a knock picked up during an epic summer with Westmeath – and the injured Joe Moran were left out of the starting XV, and The Downs sorely missed their intensity and experience. Power’s backroom team will hope they return to fitness before Wexford’s Kilanerin-Ballyfad visit Mullingar for the Leinster quarter-final on November 15.

Afterwards, Power admitted that his charges must substantially up their game to progress, though he can take heart from certain details. All but two of his side’s points came from open play, whereas Clonguish relied heavily on freetaker Michael Flynn.

Meanwhile, performances by Michael Moloney (1-3) and Tom Tuite (0-4) illustrated the Westmeath side’s strength in depth. Moloney, a Hogan Cup medallist with Coláiste Mhuire this year, was named at wing back replacing Moran but played mostly in the vanguard, kicking some wonderful scores.

After ten minutes, however, there was little to celebrate for the black and ambers. They failed to trouble the scoreboard early and poor discipline allowed a plucky Clonguish a three-point lead via a hat-trick of Michael Flynn frees. The Longford men could have had more, with Flynn and Jack Duggan missing two-point kicks.

Hunting a goal after ten minutes, The Downs drew a blank following a promising one-two between Luke and Oisín Loughlin. The ball was recycled to Jonathan Lynam, who pointed.

This spurred The Downs on, who quickly levelled through Ian Martin and Tom Tuite. County final hero Niall Mitchell then handed them the lead with a sublime two-pointer following a rare instance of slack marking by Clonguish.

Dominating under the kickouts, the Westmeath champions extended their lead to three when Tuite scored off his left.

James Hagan and Luke Loughlin (a fisted effort) traded points, but Clonguish grew back into the game, levelling through Flynn (a two-point free) and Matthew Carey. They then had a sniff at goal, but Jack Duggan fumbled at the crucial moment.

Back came The Downs, and after scuffing a routine ‘45’, Luke Loughlin was found unmarked by Niall Mitchell and rattled the net with a powerful left-footed shot.

Clonguish reduced the arrears with a fisted point from Jamie Dorr and although they had a couple of shorts, Dominic Corrigan’s troops were still arguably the better side and trailed by only a point when Michael Flynn tacked on another free on 29 minutes.

However, in the final minute of the half, The Downs hit their opponents with a real psychological blow when Clonguish spilled a hoofed long ball from Loughlin into the path of an unmarked Michael Moloney, who composed himself before thumping the ball to the roof of the net.

The Downs led by four (2-7 to 0-9) at the break, though Jack Duggan went close to a first Clonguish goal, scything through The Downs defence before driving a low shot just wide.

After a pulsating first half of end-to-end football, the black and ambers were expected to pull away. The early signs were positive, when Jonathan Lynam teed up Ian Martin for his second point moments after the restart.

However, The Downs failed to build on this and by the 36th minute, Clonguish pulled two points back, with Michael Flynn kicking a free – which had been moved forward for dissent – from outside the arc.

Luke Loughlin, with a fine effort at the end of a solo run down the left flank, responded for The Downs but by the 39th minute Clonguish narrowed the gap to a single point courtesy of scores from Kevin Baskett and the increasingly influential Michael Carey.

The momentum then swung the way of The Downs, who re-established their three-point lead after a brace of well-taken points from Tom Tuite, taking his tally to four points from play.

However, all of this was undone on 44 minutes when Jack Duggan tore down the centre for Clonguish and fed Michael Flynn, whose handpass into the square looked to have created a certain goal for his brother Cormac. The full forward’s slapped finish rebounded off the crossbar, but James Hagan was on hand to bury the rebound.

This levelled matters and from the subsequent attack, Matthew Carey put Clonguish in the lead but after their netminder Declan McKenna batted away a short effort from Luke Loughlin, Michael Moloney equalised with a neat point on the turn (2-12 to 1-15).

The stage was set for a frenetic final quarter in which the lead changed hands a number of times. Moloney, teed up by Tom Tuite, gave The Downs the advantage but by the 53rd minute, the Longford men had regained the lead thanks to a brace of scores from the Flynn brothers, including a first point from play for Michael.

The latter went wide moments later and at the other end, a crucial 60 seconds ensued for The Downs. Luke Loughlin changed a luckless day from placed balls by successfully kicking a two-point free out of his hands. Michael Moloney then added another score moments later – with Tuite again the provider – and The Downs led by two.

Niall Mitchell, kept quiet by the Clonguish rearguard since his early two-pointer, might have killed off the game but went wide with another kick from beyond the arc, and with 59 minutes gone, Michael Flynn converted another free from Clonguish to keep them in contention.

However, in the second minute of stoppage time, Westmeath forward Kevin O’Sullivan – a late sub for the black and ambers – handpassed over the bar at the tail end of a good passing move to restore the two-point cushion.

There was still time for late drama, however, and Michael Flynn looked all but certain to cap an excellent individual display for Clonguish with a late winning goal when he was founded unmarked on the far post by Daniel Carey. However, his shot was blocked out by an alert Trevor Martin. Jack Duggan had no luck with the rebound, and The Downs knocked it out for a ‘45’.

Matthew Carey dropped the resultant kick into the square, but Niall Mitchell was on hand to collect, and The Downs prevailed.

Scorers - The Downs: L Loughlin 1-4 (0-2 2ptf), M Moloney 1-3, T Tuite 0-4, N Mitchell (2pt) and I Martin 0-2 each, J Lynam and K O’Sullivan 0-1 each. Clonguish: M Flynn 0-10 (5f, 2 2ptf), J Hagan 1-1, M Carey 0-3, K Baskett 0-2, J Dorr and C Flynn 0-1 each.

The Downs: Trevor Martin; Éanna Burke, Josh Murtagh, Peter Murray; Jonathan Lynam, Ciaran Nolan, Michael Moloney; Lorcan Mullen, Charlie Drumm; Oisín Loughlin, Ian Martin, Billy Moffatt; Luke Loughlin, Niall Mitchell, Tom Tuite. Subs used: Kevin O’Sullivan for O Loughlin (47), Andrew Brennan for Murray (55).

Clonguish: Declan McKenna; Jonathan Burke, Mark Cooney, Christopher Gordon; Jack Duggan, Conor Smith, Andrew Flynn; Peter Hanley, Matthew Carey; Jamie Dorr, Michael Flynn, Ronan Sweeney; Kevin Baskett, Cormac Flynn, James Hagan. Subs used: Ross Shields for Baskett (47), Daniel Carey for Burke (inj., 57).

Referee: Colm McCullough (Louth).