Delight for Downings with win over Kilcar - first top flight win in a generation

Drama in the first minute and the very last meant a notable All-County Football League Division 1 scalp for Downings in their first home fixture in the top flight since 1991, with champions Kilcar the visitors.

Downings 3-2 Kilcar 1-7

As the scoreline suggests, points were difficult to come by as a strong wind swept in from Rosapenna and Kevin Gallagher’s side hit three first half goals to set them on their way.

The first of them came after only 16 seconds, when, from Martin Coll’s throw-in, Downings swept forward and with Lorcan Connor, Kevin Doherty and Keelan McGroddy all involved in the move, the latter smashed home for a dream start.

Fast-forward the guts of an hour and Kilcar - who had the elements in the second half and were by then just one behind - had Downings pinned in and late in the second minute of injury time, Mark Sweeney tossed a ball in. It was punched clear by Aaron McClafferty in goal, with Ryan McShane picking up the loose ball to fire over.

However, amid a moment of confusion, referee Coll had actually blown for time and the point never was. It meant that Downings’ celebrated their first Division 1 win in a generation. Kilcar did query the decision but decided not to make a song and dance about it.

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After the concession of the early goal to McGroddy, Kilcar settled to move 1-3 to 1-1 in front, with Stephen McBrearty kicking their three points and Seánie Boyle planting a blistering goal on nine minutes. Connor had scored Downings’ first point.

However, well versed in the unpredictability of the wind, Downings ran the ball and managed an excellently-worked second goal, when McGroddy was again the finisher, this time coming in from the right to smash home with his left. Sixteen minutes had been played.

Five minutes later, a third goal came when a shot or maybe not from Connor was held up in the wind and grasped by Callum Cullen to shoot past Kevin Campbell to make the score 3-1 to 1-5, with McBrearty and a splendid Dara O’Donnell point making up Kilcar’s total.

Downings almost added a fourth goal on the stroke of half-time, only for goalkeeper Campbell to stand up well and keep out Shane Boyce’s shot. It was the last action of the half, with Downings two up but knowing Kilcar would ask plenty of them in part two.

So it proved, with Kilcar almost owning the ball in the second half, running into the wind with Downings’ defensive shape making them shoot from distance. The only score in the third quarter was a great one from Downings’ Paul McGroddy, to put them three in front.

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Sweeney’s introduction for Kilcar brought a willing shooter and he kicked two points at a time when his side were stacking up the missed chances. In the second half alone they kicked six wides, two off the upright and saw four drop short. The last of those was when they thought they had scraped a point through McShane, however, full-time was blown just as he was about to pull the trigger.

There’s still plenty to be done but for a club who were in the old Division 4 of the All-County League as recently as 2018, it was a victory to savour for the locals.

Downings scorers: Keelan McGroddy 2-0; Callum Cullen; Lorcan Connor, Paul McGroddy 0-1.
Kilcar scorers: Stephen McBrearty 0-4, 3f; Seánie Boyle 1-0; Mark Sweeney 0-2; Dara O’Donnell 0-1.

Downings: Aaron McClafferty; Tiarnan McBride, Ben McNutt, Ross Cullen; Kevin Doherty, Ronan Gallagher, Dean McBride; Oisin Boyce, Shane Boyce; Paul McGroddy, Keelan McGroddy, Conor Boyce; Fiachra McClafferty, Lorcan Connor, Callum Cullen.
Kilcar: Kevin Campbell; Kenny Doogan, Pauric Carr, Daniel Lyons; Eoin Cormack, Oran Doogan, Pauric McShane; Ciaran McGinley, Eoin McHugh, Gary Molloy, Stephen McBrearty, Conor O’Donnell; Seánie Boyle, Dara O’Donnell, Ryan O’Donnell. Subs: Ryan McShane for C O’Donnell (33), Mark Sweeney for Cormack (44), Barry Shovlin for McShane (55).
Referee: Martin Coll (Gaoth Dobhair).