Down chalk up easy victory despite two black cards

DOWN 1-15 UUJ 0-7

Down received two black cards in the first half, but still recorded an easy 1-15 to 0-7 win over UUJ in Newry yesterday.

Kalum King was dismissed by Joe McQuillan in the 22nd minute for pulling down an opponent and Darragh O’Hanlon went eight minutes later for a deliberate body check.

Down manager James McCartan accepted both decisions, but raised concerns about the length of time it takes to get subs ready to replace players who have been black carded.

“It’s very difficult, there was confusion along the line,” he said.

“You nearly need to have all your subs with their tracksuit bottoms off and ready to go because you don’t know what players are going to be black-carded.

“It’s not a concern in the McKenna Cup but it’s a concern if you miss getting a sub on until the next break in play.”

Jordanstown also had a player, Armagh’s Pearse Casey, given a black card five minutes into the second-half.

UUJ manager Adrian McGuckin later claimed it had been a case of mistaken identity, believing Ryan McAleenan to have been the player who had committed the foul.

The students went 32 minutes without scoring either side of half-time, with Down coasting into a 0-7 to 0-3 lead by the break.

Peter Fitzpatrick, back in Down colours after a year in Australia, scored the only goal of the game two minutes after the interval, after collecting Connaire Harrison's pass and drilling the ball low past the 'keeper.

Mark Poland impressed on free-taking duties for Down while their new goalkeeper Shane Harrison also made a couple of important saves as they made a winning start to 2014.

DOWN: S Harrison; D McCartan (0-1), P Turley, D O'Hagan; B McArdle, A Carr, M Lively; K King (0-1), G McArdle (0-1); P Fitzpatrick (1-0), C O'Hare (0-3), D O'Hanlon; C Harrison (0-1), E McCartan (0-1), M Poland (0-5, 4f) Subs: L Devlin (0-1) for King (22), R Boyle for O'Hanlon (30), D Turley for Devlin (47), S McNamee for O'Hagan (54), N Madine (0-1, f) for E McCartan (55), J McCarthy for D McCartan (58)

UUJ: M McReynolds; K McKaigue, C McKaigue, D McNally; P McPolin (0-1), L Keaney, K Clarke; C Duggan, N McKeever (0-1); C Gough, P Hughes, P Casey; D Savage (0-3, 3f), C O'Boyle (0-1, f), A Burns Subs: R McAleenan for McPolin (34), R Donnelly for Casey (40), N O'Neill for Burns (46), D McKay (0-1) for Hughes (60), T Miscalla for Clarke (65), C McClean for Karl McKaigue (68)

Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)