Donegal's Christy Ring Cup dream well and truly dashed by Down

Donegal's chances, as remote and all as they were of making the knockout stages of the Christy Ring Championship, were well and truly dashed by Down, in Donnell Park, this afternoon.

Donegal ……… 2-15

Down…………...7-22

Donegal, without ace marksmen Declan Coulter and Lee Henderson, went into the game needing a big win over their opponents Down and Derry to beat Wicklow.

Down went into the game needing to ensure their place in the last four after winning one and losing one of their early round games. 

But with the dynamic Sands brothers Daithi and Eoghan and a slicker and more skilful outfit playing at a higher level in recent decades proved a bridge too far for Mickey McCann and his young guns.

Donegal to their credit clocked up 2-15 which most days would be a good return. But against a Down outfit with a lethal forwad line it simply wasn’t enough.

The Sands boy, sons of the great Down star of 1990s Noel Sands, scored 6-5 between them. Donegal’s Ciaran Mathewson posted 1-10 of the Donegal total.

The opening exchanges were pretty even. Down posted the game's first two points with Tim Prenter and Paul Sheehan splitting the Swilly end goals.

But the Donegal response was a positive one and thanks to strikes from Gavin Browne, Ciaran Mathewson and Colm Flood the locals were ahead 0-3 to 0-2 after five minutes.

Down forged ahead again with a number of well taken points and a 13 minute Daithi Sands goal to open up a five point lead.

However with Sean McVeigh, Danny Cullen and Joe Boyle opening the shoulders and Mathewson, Ronan McDermott and Gavin Browne lively up front Donegal were still in touch at the end of the first quarter as Down led 1-5 to 0-5.

Paul Burns then saved a penalty strike from his opposite number Stephen Keith. And Donegal were looking up again when Mathewson split the posts for his third point and the margin was back to two again.

It got even got better for the locals seconds later when Gavin Browne pierced open the Down defence to score a smashing goal when cutting in from the right hand side after being picked out by Mathewson.

But thanks to further goals from the Sands brothers Daithi and Eoghan Sands (2) and points from Liam Savage, Oisin McManus and Sheehan Down went in 4-11 to 1-9 at half-time.

Donegal enjoyed a good opening  to the second half and when Mathewson converted from the penalty spot six minutes into the new half the margin was a six point game once again. Down led 4-11 to 2-11.

Lee Henderson, a half-time replacement for Niall Cleary, was pulled back in the large rectangle for the penalty.

Sheehan, with a free, got Down up and running again on 47 minutes and it was lights out shortly after when Daithi Sands completed his hat trick.

The Down lead was now out to 11 points, 5-13 to 2-11 with 20 minutes left on the clock.

Mathewson and Henderson did add points as Down cruised to a big win with Eoghan Sands also completing his hat trick and Ronan Blair converting  a penalty with the last strike of the game for goal number seven.

Donegal now face London next weekend in a Christy Ring Championship Cup relegation play-off with venue to be decided.

DONEGAL: Paul Burns; Conor Park, Christopher McDermott, Stephen Gillespie; Jack O’Loughlin, Sean McVeigh, Colm Flood (0-1); Joe Boyle, Danny Cullen (0-1); Ronan McDermott, Ciaran Matthewson (1-10, 1-0pen, 5f), Ciaran Finn (0-1); Gavin Browne (1-1), Niall Cleary, Dillon Duffy. Subs: Lee Henderson (0-1) for Cleary (half-time), PJ McCarron for D Cullen 55inj; Sean Anderson for J O’Loughlin 58; Caolan McDermott for D Duffy 58;  Ryan Hilferty for S Gillespie 61.

DOWN: Stephen Keith; Tom Murray, Caolan Taggart, Darragh Mallon; Marc Fisher, John McManus, Matthew Conlon; Phelim Savage (0-2), Liam Savage (0-3); Danny Tonner, Paul Sheehan (0-7, 5f), Tim Prenter (0-1); Daithi Sands (3-3), Eoghan Sands (3-2), Oisin MacManus (0-1). Subs: Conor O’Prey (0-1) for T Prenter 18;  Gerard Hughes (0-1) for M Fisher 45;Ronan Blair (1-1, 1-0 pen, 1f) for O MacManus 58, Mark Patterson for T Murray 61;J Davidson for P Sheehan 61.

REFEREE: Shane Hynes (Galway).