Delight for Naomh Muire as win over Downings seals long-awaited Division 1 return

Naomh Muire are looking forward to Division One football next season for the first time in 25 years following a narrow playoff win over Downings at the Bridge in Dunfanaghy.

On an evening when the pitch had to be cleared of excess water, just two points separated the sides at the final whistle with the men from the Lower Rosses shading the proverbial game of two halves.

Naomh Muire, the third placed team in Division Two, set their stall out from very early to race into a 1-3 lead inside the opening six minutes and before Downing got up and running.

Cathal Fee and Eoin Martin scored the goals and Martin, Fee, Harry Harden, Fintan Doherty, Padraig McCafferty and Adam O’Brien kicked the points for Danny O’Donnell’s team.

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Kyle McFadden scored the goal and Johnny McGroddy, Ronan Gallagher, Dylan McGlone, Allen Pasoma carried the main scoring threat for Downings who have Division Two football ahead of them next season.

Fee struck for the first Naomh Muire goal three minutes into the game and after a penetrating run up along the left wing from Fintan Doherty.

In the opening seconds Doherty with a similar run set up Daniel Devlin for the game’s opening score.

And to cap a glorious opening six minutes following another run from deep split the Downings’posts for a 1-3 to 0-0 score lead for Naomh Muire with Downings still to catch their first wind.

And while Johnny McGroddy opened the Downings account shortly after Naomh Muire continued to set the pace, chasing every ball as if their lives depended on it and with Adam O’Brien raking the skies in the middle of the field and with Doherty continuing to raid on the wing he scores flowed.

And the men from the Lower Rosses were 2-10 to 1-3 in front at the half-time turnaround. Eoin Martin scored the Naomh Muire second goal four minutes from the end of the opening half.

And a cracking goal it was Martin turned his marker after being picked out with a peach of a pass from Harry Harry to rattle the rigging in the top corner of the Downings’s net. Harden and Padraig McCafferty with a pair of two pointers and O’Brien scored the Naomh points.
For a below-par Downings, Kyle McFadden struck for the Downings goal with Dylan McGlone and McGroddy adding the points for Maxi Curran’s team.

Looking down the barrel, Downings were in a different mood in the second half as they posted courtesy of Ronan Gallagher, Allen Pasoma and McGroddy. In the process, they trimmed the Naomh Muire lead to six points 2-11 to 1-8.

And with McGroddy landing the second of his two pointers, Ronan Gallagher a ‘45 and Patrick McElwee also chipping in with a two pointer the Naomh Muire lead was down to a point, 2-11 to 1-13 with the clock ticking on fulltime.

Cathal Fee and Gallagher traded late points before Eoin Martin kicked the insurance point from close range after a numbers breach by Downings.
And so it is Division One football for the first time in over 25 years for Naomh Muire next season.

Down were left to rue 12 wides, including eight in the first half as Naomh Muire had five wides with just one in the opening half.

Naomh Muire, Lower Rosses scorers: Cathal Fee, Eoin Martin 1-2 each, Harry Harden 0-4,1 2 tp; Padraig McCafferty 0-2,1 tp; Daniel Devlin 0-2, Fintan Doherty and Adam O’Brien 0-1 each.

Downings: Johnny McGroddy 0-9,3 tp, Kyle McFadden 1-0, Ronan Gallagher 0-2, 1f, 1’45, Paddy McEwee 0-2, 1 tp, Allen Pasoma, Dylan McGlone 0-1 each.

Naomh Muire: Declan Ward; Conor Cannon, Ferdia Doherty, Patrick Rodgers; Tuathail Lunny, Padraig McCafferty, Fintan Doherty; Darragh Doherty,Adam O’Brien; Jack O’Donnell,Daniel Devlin, Shaun Burns; Harry Harden, Cathal Fee, Eoin Martin. Subs: Daniel Ward for P McCafferty(45); Darragh White for J O’Donnell (55); Paul Yank Boyle for D Doherty (56).

Downings; Jordan Nugent; Tiernan McBride, Ben McNutt, Shane Coll; Paidin Shiels, Ronan Gallagher, Allen Pasoma; Oisin Boyce, Ethan Cullen; Dylan McGlone, Johnny McGroddy, Kyle McFadden; Alex Gerwatowski, Patrick McElwee, Shea Coyle.
Sub; Paul McGroddy for S Coyle (24); Conor Boyce for S Coll (h/t); Danny McBride for E Cullen (50); Gary Ban McClafferty for K McFadden (62).