All-Ireland SFC: Down power past luckless Lilywhites
Down are through to the All-Ireland final after edging out Kildare by 1-16 to 1-14 in a pulsating Croke Park semi-final.
Fifty years after bringing Sam Maguire to Ulster for the first time, the Mourne County have defied all expectations by moving within 70 minutes of their sixth senior All-Ireland title. This was a magical day for James McCartan's team, while it's hard not to feel great sympathy for Kildare.
The losers almost snatched victory at the death when Robert Kelly's 75th-minute free rattled the crossbar, while Eamonn Callaghan also hit a post when going for goal and the decisive Down three-pointer - scored by Benny Coulter in the first half - should have been disallowed. Kildare also had a decent-looking Alan Smith 'point' ruled wide and Kelly hit an upright when going for a point in the second half.
After a shaky start, the winners took control of the first half to lead by 1-9 to 0-7 at half time. Marty Clarke was orchestrating matters as playmaker, but Down's goal - from Coulter - really should never have stood as the ace attacker was clearly inside the square when finishing the ball to the net. Kildare had every right to feel aggrieved, though to their credit they accepted defeat graciously…
There was no Dermot Earley in the starting XV for Kildare, with Hugh Lynch coming in at midfield wearing the No.17 shirt. But of course Down also had their own worries in that department as their centrefield talisman Ambrose Rogers had also been ruled out earlier in the week.
Lynch and Padraig O'Neill hit wides into the breeze for the Lilywhites inside the opening two minutes but Eamonn Callaghan instigated and finished the next Kildare attack to arc over an excellent opening point in the third minute.
Martin Clarke dragged a Down free from distance well wide of the target and there was controversy when Alan Smith seemed to increase the Kildare advantage with a nice point on six minutes but the umpire at the Hill 16 posts waved the shot wide.
The Leinster county continued to carry the fight to the border men and Emmet Bolton was off target before James Kavanagh nonchalantly collected a high delivery to pop over his team's second point on eight minutes. Within 60 seconds, centre back Kevin McKernan opened Down's account.
Damien Rafferty's foul on Callaghan presented Johnny Doyle with a free in front of the posts, which he popped over while the sticks vibrated in the wind. On twelve minutes, Down went ahead with a disputed goal. Benny Coulter looked to be camped inside the small square as a high ball arrived but the goal was allowed to stand when he rose highest to flick to the net.
On such moments do games swing and Down moved further ahead when McKernan stole forward to knock over his second superb score from play: 1-2 to 0-3 after 13 minutes. Mark Poland punished some indisciplined Kildare tackling with a beautiful pointed free from the hands to leave the Ulster representatives ahead by double scores after 15 minutes: 1-3 to 0-3.
Morgan O'Flaherty pointed from an excellent Daryl Flynn pass, after Fitzpatrick had struck a Down wide. When Dan McCartan was harshly penalised for putting pressure on Kavanagh, Doyle reduced the gap further with a calmly-converted free from the deck.
Paul McComiskey hit another Down wide and Kavanagh pulled an easy (and dubious) free wide off his normally-trusty left foot. But Doyle levelled the scores with an exceptional point from play in the 23rd minute: 0-6 to 1-3.
Brian Flanagan's rugby tackle on Martin Clarke presented Poland with another chance from a free and the Down No.11 made no mistake. Danny Hughes followed up with an immediate point from play and it was 1-5 to 0-6 after 26 minutes, with both sides registering five wides to date.
Doyle won and converted a free on 27 minutes but Marty Clarke arrowed over a super point with his left boot in the 28th minute after Kildare were caught in possession. McComiskey was content to fist a point when he had a sniff of goal on the half-hour mark and that score left the Mourne men three points ahead.
Kieran McGeeney introduced Ronan Sweeney in place of Flynn and Coulter hit a wide when he looked set to score. Marty Clarke's next effort dropped weakly into Shane McCormack's arms but Danny Hughes clipped a nice point off his less-favoured left foot after leaving Emmet Bolton for dead.
In the first added minute, Coulter traded passes with Fitzpatrick and drilled over a sumptuous point off the outside of the right boot to give his side a five-point advantage at the interval.
Down mounted the first attack of the second half but Coulter sent a shot wide off the outside of his right foot. Hughes then dropped a shot into the arms of McCormack as the northerners strained to stretch their advantage. Coulter won a free from McGrillen, which was moved in front of the posts for dissent. Martin Clarke made no mistake: 1-10 to 0-7 after 39 minutes.
O'Flaherty missed a free from 50 metres and Coulter was also off target before Emmet Bolton exploited some slack Down play out of defence to claim Kildare's first point in 15 minutes' play. Kildare were bang out of luck in the 43rd minute when Callaghan drilled a shot off the Down post when he looked certain to bag a goal. To rub salt in the wound, O'Flaherty missed from the rebound when he should have pointed.
But Doyle brought it back to a four-point game with a beautifully-converted free from the ground on 44 minutes, 0-9 to 1-10.
Down seemed to have worked their way through for a second goal but heroic defending thwarted the Red & Blacks as the Kildare rearguard stood firm. The pace and intensity of the game had now increased dramatically and both managers were bringing in subs in an effort to keep their teams fresh in the sapping heat.
When Down were awarded a free in the 48th minute (McGrillen accidentally bringing his man down, but bringing him down nonetheless…), Poland popped the ball over the bar from his hands - the centre forward's third score.
Substitute Karl Ennis ignored the jeering of the Down supporters to clip a free from the hands over the bar: 0-10 to 1-11 with 52 minutes elapsed. With a quarter of the game left, this contest was still in the melting pot. Kildare were bursting a gut to reduce the arrears but Down were keeping them at bay.
Fifteen minutes from the end, it was back to a five-point game when Marty Clarke dropped a free over the bar. Substitute Conor Maginn followed up with an instant point, his high kick dropping on the crossbar and over. Down were now playing with a swagger and Fitzpatrick got on the end of another sublime Marty Clarke pass to pop the ball over when he could - and perhaps should - have gone for goal.
Within seconds, Callaghan rifled the ball to the Down net to leave four points between the teams with little over twelve minutes remaining. In the 59th minute, Coulter claimed another fantastic score from play, giving his team a five-point cushion.
Hugh Lynch sliced over an exceptional Kildare point off the outside of the right foot from the right wing as Kildare kept going, and there were four points in it with nine minutes remaining. Down squandered a great point-scoring opportunity before Lynch followed up with another unreal score - this one even better than his first, again cutting across the ball expertly.
Ronan Murtagh announced his arrival from off the bench with a neat point into The Hill five minutes from the end but Kildare responded with a terrific Doyle pointed free from off the ground. That score left three points in it with as many minutes left.
O'Neill could only watch in anguish as his late effort flew wide and Robert Kelly hit a shot wide off the upright in the last minute of normal time. Sub David Lyons struck a shot high between the posts in the first of three additional minutes and Down were awarded a soft free, which Marty Clarke sent wide of the target.
There was incredible drama as Kildare surged forward in search of a last-gasp winning goal and the Lilywhites won a free in the fifth added minute. Referee Pat McEneaney instructed them that it would be the last kick of the game and - cruelly - with the entire Down team spread out across the goal line, Robert Kelly boomed a thumping kick off the crossbar via the fingertips of a Down defender.
Heartache for luckless Kildare, and joy for Down who progress to the 2010 All-Ireland SFC final where they will face Cork.
Down: Brendan McVeigh; Daniel McCartan, Dan Gordon, Damien Rafferty; Declan Rooney, Kevin McKernan (0-2), Conor Garvey; Peter Fitzpatrick (0-1), Kalum King; Daniel Hughes (0-2), Mark Poland (0-3), Paul McComiskey (0-1); Benny Coulter (1-2), John Clarke, Martin Clarke (0-3). Subs: Aidan Brannigan, Conor Maginn (0-1), Ronan Murtagh (0-1), James Colgan.
Kildare: Shane McCormack; Peter Kelly, Hugh McGrillan, Andrew MacLochlainn; Morgan O'Flaherty (0-1), Emmet Bolton (0-1), Brian Flanagan; Daryl Flynn, Hugh Lynch (0-2); James Kavanagh (0-1), Padraig O'Neill, Johnny Doyle (0-6); Eoghan O'Flaherty, Alan Smith, Eamonn Callaghan (1-1). Subs: Ronan Sweeney, Karl Ennis (0-1), David Lyons (0-1), Robert Kelly, Tomas O'Connor.
