By Shaun Casey

WHEN Down welcomed Galway to Páirc Esler last summer in the play-off round of the All-Ireland series, Conor Laverty put his best man-marker onto Shane Walsh.

That was Ceilum Doherty’s role for the day. A duty that Doherty has found himself taking on quite a lot during Laverty’s tenure in charge of the Mourne County.

A kind of sticky plaster position. Wherever the danger was, Doherty was instructed to shut it down. Last year, his resume included names like Walsh, Craig Lennon, Stephen O’Hanlon and Ryan McHugh.

More often than not, the Kilcoo clubman was fit to hold his own in those duels. Even at club level, he’s assumed the same job, shadowing the likes of Conor McCarthy and Ruairi Canavan on the biggest days.

This season however, he’s found himself at the opposite end of the pitch. Since the final round of the McKenna Cup against Tyrone, Doherty has been lining out at centre half-forward.

From Down’s go-to man-marker at the back, he’s developed into a free-scoring, play-making number 11. And he’s thriving in the role. Only Pat Havern, Odhran Murdock and Daniel Guinness have scored more in their Division Three campaign for the Mourne County.

“To come from playing at corner-back to scoring that return, I’m not the manager but in my opinion, he was probably in the wrong position,” said fellow Kilcoo clubmate and former Down goalkeeper Niall Kane.

“For Kilcoo, he’d had done a job as a man-marker, but it wouldn’t have been all the time. He went from half-back to half-forward, he would have played that role for us.

“But I remember the Ulster Club final (2024), he marked Ruairi Canavan and I thought he done really well on him, I don’t think Ruairi actually scored.

“Ceilum is one of those players, he’s a fabulous footballer and nothing is ever questioned. Whatever he’s asked to do, it’s never an issue and that stands to him. It shows you his character.

“I would have always classed him as a forward because he always has been a forward for Kilcoo and before maybe last year or the year before, he would have been one of our go-to guys up top to get scores.”

Transferring skills at the drop of a hat certainly isn’t an easy task, especially transitioning from the hunter to be the hunted.

“I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves,” Kane added.

“In my opinion, he’s an unbelievable footballer, especially going forward because he has the pace, but what he really does and people might not really see it, but he has a head on his shoulders.

“He knows how to play football; he doesn’t just put the head down and run. He’s nearly like Ronnie O’Sullivan, he’s setting up plays and he nearly knows the next move before it happens.”

Kane has shared a successful defence with Doherty at club level and while he may not be the most vocal character in the changing room, he still leads from the front by his displays on the field.

“He wouldn’t really be a big talker, but ‘Doc’ is the type of guy that lets his performances do the talking. You don’t really have to question him because you know that nine times out of ten, you’re going to get 100 per cent out of him, he’s just one of those players.”

Down suffered their first defeat of the season last weekend against Laois, in a game where Doherty didn’t feature, but promotion and a spot in the league final had already been secured before that round seven fixture.

This weekend they head to Croke Park in search of silverware and Wexford stand between Laverty’s side and a Division Three league title. The outcome of the game could have big ramifications on their Sam Maguire hopes as well.

“Down are on the up and they’re going back to Division Two,” Kane continued. “That’s where they want to be and they want to be playing Sam Maguire football as well.

“Down were always there when I was growing up and unfortunately when I played for Down, I didn’t get playing Sam Maguire football, but I think they’re in a really good place.

“Everybody has to get behind them and back them and a lot of people expect this Down team to be competing, but you have to be realistic. They’ve been in transition these last few years but they’re moving in the right direction.”

The focus will soon switch to the Ulster Championship opener against Donegal and while Jim McGuinness’ men will be unbackable favourites, Kane wouldn’t be writing off his native county just yet.

“You’re going to play Donegal who will know themselves they didn’t turn up in the All-Ireland final, so they’ll be out to rectify that but Down have nothing to fear, the shackles are off.

“Yes, they’re going to Letterkenny to play arguably the best team in the country with a shrewd character like Jim McGuinness as a manager, but Down have quite a few experienced heads there as well.

“I wouldn’t be writing Down off. They didn’t take their goal chances last year and it could have been a totally different story so the next day out, Down might get the rub of the green.”