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Down turn 2d-half surge into victory over Dublin

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Jack Flynn

It was a tale of two halves at Gaelic Park on Sunday. In the first 30 minutes, Down and Dublin played a well-fought, mildly entertaining Junior Football A contest, at the conclusion of which Dublin led by 3 points.

In the second 30 minutes, however, Down simply owned the contest, scoring 10 points and allowing only.

“We were very lethargic in the first half,” said Down full forward Aiden Cole. “At halftime, we buckled down and, luckily, we got some scores.”

Cole himself put four balls over the bar and was one of Down’s most effective weapons throughout the match, but he downplayed his role afterward.

“I had a couple of points, but I could have had a couple more,” Cole said. “I was just happy to be on the winning side.”

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Martin Middleton started off the scoring with two straight points for Down, giving his side the early advantages, but Dublin’s Ian Mullett scored his first of two goals of the match and Colm Wilson followed with a point soon after.

After Finbar Coffey (who paced Down with five points) put one over the bar to bring his team within a point, Mullett struck paydirt again to give Dublin a 2-1 to 0-3 advantage.

Dublin’s dangerous full forward tapped home a gift off the foot of Shane Nugent, whose own goal try had just deflected off the post and was redirected straight on to the foot of Mullett for his second goal.

Down’s Kieran McGarvey and Wilson traded scores to keep the gap between the two sides the same, then Dublin began to come apart at the seams.

After two points from Cole and a point apiece from Middleton and Steven McGee later, Down had drawn level with Dublin, 0-8 to 2-2.

But while the attack was on and Down were pressing to take the lead. Nugent came up with a goal in the waning moments that kept Dublin temporarily on top.

In the second half, however, Down were as hot as a Sunday afternoon in the Bronx, while Dublin went flatter than a pancake. A string of seven straight points, including three from Coffey and two from Cole, gave Down an 0-15 to 3-2 advantage.

Dublin had few opportunities to score during the run, but failed to take advantage when they had the chance. Finally, Eamonn Cullen kept the Dubs from being shut out in the second half by scoring a point to pull within three.

It was too little, too late. Middleton, Coffey and Ollie Crummie padded Down’s lead before the final whistle blew.

Down scorers: Coffey 0-5, Middleton and Cole 0-4, McGarvey 0-2, McGee, Matters and Crummie 0-1.

Dublin: Mullett 2-0, Nugent 1-0, Wilson 0-2, Cullen 0-1.

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