Sports DNA

National Lidl  league

Divison 3

Down v Carlow

Venue: Parc Esler, Newry

Match report: Paul Devlin 

Down ladies signed off their league campaign with an emphatic win on Sunday with a performance  showing they will be a challenger for the upcoming Ulster Championship.

Although Carlow opened the scoring, Down were much the stronger side from the start. Eimear Fitzpatrick has been the major threat for Down this season. The Burren forward wasn’t long in getting on the scoresheet alongside Niamh King & Eva Hicks to give Down a 0-3 to 0-1 lead.

Two quick Down goals left them well in control with Niamh King & Meabh Kelly both finding the net. Carlow replied with powerful centre forward Cliodhna Ni She clearing the bar. Fitzpatrick and Down were rampant in the first half. Quick hand passing through the middle opened up the Carlow defence time and again, and the goals kept coming, Fitzpatrick and Hicks (2) pilling the misery onto Carlow, who were really struggling to keep out the dynamic Down attack.

Niamh King got her second goal after collecting a fine pass over the Carlow defence. The Castlewellan forward is a class act who always seems to have so much time on the ball, going on to slot the ball nonchalantly into the bottom corner.

Down continued to impress, saving their best goal of the half as time was nearly up. Niamh Rice robbed the ball on her own 13 meter line. She raced up the field with three Carlow defenders giving chase. A lovely pass wide to King was collected and almost in one movement delivered into Fitzpatrick, who rounded the keeper for her second and Down’s sixth goal of the half.

To their credit, Carlow pushed forward and looked certain for a goal of their own, but some fantastic blocking by the Down defense forced Carlow to settle for a point as the referee blew for halftime.

Down 6-7 v Carlow 0-4

Down continued to push forward in the second half. Quick hands and feet opened a half chance for Niamh King, who cleared the bar. Aine Smyth’s turn of pace allowed her an opportunity on goal, but her powerful drive just crept over the bar for a single.

Smyth, then turned provider as she released Vivian McCormack. 

McCormack found the back of the net with a lovely finish for a seventh Mourne ladies goal.

Multiple changes from both sides slowed the flow of the game a bit in the second half, but with the quality coming off the Down bench, management Colm Donnelly & Mark Poland will be delighted with the performance.

Rostrevor’s Niamh Rice got Down’s eighth and last goal of the game, as the talented forward wriggled through three Carlow defenders before blasting the ball past the keeper.

Carlow showed their class by never giving up and finished strongly with a goal and two points as the game was coming to an end. Niamh Rice had the final say for Down as she finished another quick Down break with a point, to leave the final Score:

Down 8-14 v Carlow 1-7

Words by Paul Devlin