01-06-2025
Delighted Down star declares ‘the county is booming' after win over Louth seals All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final
CEILUM DOHERTY reckons Down football is 'blooming' after they got the better of Louth in Newry's Páirc Esler yesterday.
The Mourne men saw off the Leinster champions by a point to
seal
their place in an All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final at a minimum.
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Down beat Louth to secure an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final
Credit: Daire Brennan/Sportsfile
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Ceilum Doherty declared football in the county was blooming
Credit: Stephen Marken/Sportsfile
A win in their final game against Monaghan will secure their spot in a quarter-final.
And Doherty — who scored two points — said: 'The county is blooming. People are looking to get out to watch
football
.
'They're seeing neighbouring counties doing very well. So that only gives you the bite and the
teeth
to get out and watch games and, look, it's amazing.
'I'm delighted there's a lot of
children
there to see it and hopefully we can show them the direction and that's the
future
of Co Down.'
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But the Mourne had to withstand a fierce fightback from Louth.
And they needed a last-ditch block from Adam Crimmins to deny Tommy Durnin a chance to level it.
Down thought they had blown the Wee County away en route to a nine-point interval lead.
Their torch was lit when Odhran Murdock caught the throw-in with one hand and proceeded to
stroke
over a two-pointer inside 14 seconds.
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Ryan Magill, Ryan McEvoy and Doherty tagged on points before Danny Magill's two-pointer and a converted two-pointer from Murdock put Down clear.
Sam Mulroy's free was all Louth could muster in the first quarter.
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Louth finished the half with Ryan Burns, Conor
Grimes
, Ciarán Downey and Mulroy on
target
but further scores from Danny Magill and Pat Havern gave Conor Laverty's men a healthy lead at the interval.
Down managed to
remain
nine points ahead with 15 minutes to go.
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But the Leinster champions cut that lead down to five and then to only one point.
Four two-pointers from Mulroy and another by Craig Lennon swung the game and momentum was fully behind Louth.
But Down grabbed points from Shay Millar, Havern and Magill to stay ahead.
And when it came to the crunch, it was Crimmins who became the hero for the Mourne men.
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Louth must beat Clare in their final group game to reach the preliminary quarter-finals.
DOWN
: R Burke, P McCarthy, P Fegan, C Doherty 0-2, R Magill 0-1, P Laverty, M Rooney, A Crimmins 0-2, R McEvoy, D Magill 0-6, 1tp, O Murdock 0-5, 1tp, 1tpf, F McElroy, J
Guinness
, P Havern 0-6, 1tp, J McGeough 0-1.
Subs
: C Mooney 0-1 for Guinness 46 mins; S Millar 0-1 for McEvoy 48; E Branagan for McElroy 50; F Murdock for Rooney 63.
LOUTH
: N McDonnell, D Nally, D Campbell, D McKenny, C McKeever 0-1, P Lynch, C Lennon 0-3, 1tp, T Durnin 0-2, 1tp, C Byrne, B
Duffy
, C Downey 0-4, C Grimes, C Keenan, S Mulroy 0-12, 2tp, 2tpf, R Burns 0-2.
Subs
: D McDonnell for Duffy h-t; A
Williams
for Lynch 41 mins; P Mathews for Grimes 61; Kieran McArdle for Byrne 61; D McKeown for Keenan 68.
REFEREE
: D Gough (Meath) [N Mooney (Roscommon), 21].
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