McGroddy and Downings turn it on in IFC quarter-final win over Red Hughs

Downing impressive forward line shone out against Red Hughs under a grey sky at O’Donnell Park to book their place in the last four of the Donegal IFC.

Downings 2-10 Red Hughs 0-11

Johnny McGroddy - the victors’ standout performer with 1-6 - and Paddy McElwee grabbed goals to give Kevin ‘Cookie’ Gallagher’s side a lead of six at half-time and they maintained that in the second period as the rain fell in sheets.

Red Hughs’ Jack Gallagher scored eight points, seven from frees, but his team were kept at arm’s length after the break.

Conditions were tough and it was Red Hughs who settled faster, with Gillespie opening his account with a monster free and then Damien Browne doubling the advantage. Downings took 10 minutes to get going, which they did through a free from Johnny McGroddy before his wingman Lorcan Connor made it 0-2 to 0-2.

Gillespie, though, showed his capabilities with the game’s next two scores to edge the team from the Cross in front again by two, 0-4 to 0-2. However, McGroddy scored an absolute belter of a goal on 20 minutes, when he was played in by Dean McBride.

That made for Downings’ first lead of the game and they doubled it out to two, 1-3 to 0-4, when McGroddy tapped over a routine free.

Three times referee Mark Dorrian brought forward frees for Red Hughs and with Gillespie about, they were made pay. However, at the other end, Downings had numerous threats with McElwee’s telling intervention late in the half.

Having been denied a goal following a neat dummy and pass by McGroddy when he lamped one off the crossbar, McElwee wasn’t to be denied. Downings, from the same passage of play, worked it around and the second time around, he went for placement and not power and by the break, Downings were 2-7 to 0-7 in front.

Both sides were narrowly beaten at the same stage last season, with Gaeil Fhánada pipping Downings in Dunfanaghy and Red Hughs giving Termon a run for it in Letterkenny.

Gillespie and McGroddy swapped scores at the start of the second half, which meant Downings’ six-point lead. Damien Browne pulled on back in the 45th minute only for Keelan McGroddy to fist over after a fine individual run so with 15 to play, it was 2-9 to 0-9 for Downings.

Gillespie popped over his eighth and took it back to five before Red Hughs lost captain Shane Gillespie with five to play for shoving over McGroddy. Browne’s free at the bitter end proved to be his team’s last score of the contest. McGroddy skipped in and out at the other end, to wrap things up.

Downings: Johnny McGroddy 1-6, 0-5f; Paddy McElwee 1-1; Lorcan Connor, Allen Pasoma, Keelan McGroddy 0-1
Red Hughs scorers: Jack Gillespie 0-8, 7f; Damien Browne 0-2, 1m; Calvin Bradley 0-1.
Red Hughs: Luke Kelly; Steven McBride, Thomas McMenamin, James Doherty; Darragh McMenamin, Stephen McMenamin, Aaron McGlinchey; Peadar McGlinchey, Jack Gillespie; Cian Gallagher, Jack Bradley, Gerard Melaugh; Damien Browne, Calvin Bradley, Shane Gillespie. Subs: Cathair Browne and Tiernan Kelly for C Gallagher and J Bradley (43), Jason Callaghan for D McMenamin (60), James Carlin and Brian Irwin for T McMenamin and Melaugh (60+4)

Downings: Aaron McClafferty; Max Davis, Ben McNutt, Padraig McGinty; Keelan McGroddy, Ronan Gallagher, Dean McBride; Oisin Boyce, Shane Boyce; Kevin Doherty, Johnny McGroddy, Conor Boyce; Lorcan Connor, Paddy McElwee, Allen Pasoma. Subs: Ben McBride for S Boyce (45), Callum Cullen for Connor (56).
Referee: Mark Dorrian (Gaeil Fhánada)