February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Down were first out of the chute with an early three-point burst. Midfielders Brian Cole and Noel Magee sandwiched points around a free from Mournemen’s Mr. Everything Mark Dobbin. Center forward Dobbin, who played well for New York during the week despite Saturday’s red card, could be seen before the match warming up the team and then lining it out.
St. Rays came back with a three-point rally of their own, featuring frees from C.J. Doherty and John O’Driscoll along with a Shay Furlong point from play, and a good match appeared to be in the offing. Things stayed close through the first half and Down went to the locker room with a 0-6 to 0-5 lead.
The second half began like the first with Down on the up. Points from Dobbin, Liam Farrell, Eugene O’Hagen, and Martin McGivern put St. Raymond’s back in the hole, but this time Pat Ryan’s men couldn’t dig themselves out of it.
A wonderful Mark Dobbin goal after he ran nearly the length of the pitch before taking a return pass and finishing it to the Raymond’s goal put Down firmly in control. From there on it was just a matter of waiting for the final whistle as Down put the finishing touches on an impressive performance.
Man of the Match: Mark Dobbin
Down: Darren Quinn, Darren Farrell, Mark Kelly, Chris Feeney, Ed Flynn (0-1), Eugene O’Hagen (0-1), Kevin Coulter (0-1), Brian Cole (0-2), Noel Magee (0-1), Seamus Kelly, Mark Dobbin (1-5, 3 frees), Alan Keogh, Liam Farrell (0-1), Ciaran Fearon (0-1), Martin McGivern (0-2).
St. Raymond’s: Cathal Quinn, Kieran McKenna, Marty Meehan, Fergal Doyle, John Paul O’Neill, Richie Purcell, James Huvane, Gary Dowd, CJ Doherty (0-4, 3 frees), Shay Furlong (0-1), Mark Comerford, Brendan Wiley, John O’Driscoll (0-2, 2 frees), John O’Donoghue, Noel Clanchfield. Sub: Ed Michael.