- Down’s top scorers from 2010, with help from John Hughes and @TheNumbersGael
- 1 Donal O’Hare – 25-254
- WE may never see Donal O’Hare in a Down jersey again as injuries spoiled his 2021 season, and maybe in retirement he will get the credit he deserves. Just look at those figures, he is 193 points ahead of second place – or 64 and a bit goals. Speaking of goals, 24 of his 25 have come from open play with the Burren player grabbing a hat-trick against Longford in 2019. O’Hare’s free-taking was so reliable, and ensured that he has dominated the county’s top scorer award in recent seasons. He is an excellent player who was unlucky to feature in a barren period for the Mourne county.
- 2 Marty Clarke 8-112
- THE fact that Marty Clarke is second on this list is extraordinary considering that his Down career was twice interrupted by spells with Australian Rules club Collingwood. Down fans didn’t get to see too much of Clarke, but what they did was of the highest standard. His performances in helping Down to the 2010 All-Ireland final were sublime, and it was no shock that he picked up an All-Star that season. As stylish as he was, Clarke could tough it out on the pitch too and it was unfortunate that his intercounty career had to end prematurely due to Addison’s Disease. More recently, he helped the county to an Ulster u-20 title while he is a very popular pundit on BBC.
- 3 Mark Poland 6-111
- LIKE Marty Clarke, Mark Poland’s performances in 2010 when Down nearly won a sixth All-Ireland will live long in the memory of Mourne county fans. He scored the big goal against Kerry that year while Down fans enjoyed his late winning strike in the 2014 National League match with Armagh, the first league game to be played on a Friday night. He also scored a brilliant goal against the Orchard county in the 2011 Ulster Championship, although Armagh would still win. There would be some consolation for the die-hard Liverpool fan as Manchester United lost the Champions League final to a Leo Messi inspired Barcelona the same night. Whatever happened to the wee Argentinian?
- 4 Benny Coulter 13-71
- IT may be surprising to see Benny Coulter so low in this list, but don’t forget that only five of his seasons are included in that tally as he retired in November 2014. The man was a goal machine as he continually found himself in the right place at the right time and he had the quality to finish those chances too. He scored a controversial goal against Kildare in the 2010 semi-final as it appeared to be a square ball, but the whole country – maybe with the exception of some Armagh fans – were delighted to see the Mayobridge maestro make a first All-Ireland final. That decider didn’t work out, but he collected an All-Star and he continued to terrorise defences for a few years after.
- 5 Paul Devlin 2-81
- THE Kilcoo half-forward is an excellent free-taker and looks set to take up the baton of Donal O’Hare. He made his debut in the 2011 Dr McKenna Cup and while he hasn’t always been a starter, he does seem to make a scoring contribution whenever he is involved. While Devlin may be noted as a dead-ball expert, he has hit 2-23 from play for his county. He has enjoyed immense success with his club and will be hoping to help Down earn a few big wins before he finishes up. Devlin has a few years left to go.
- 6 Conor Laverty 10-56
- THE Kilcoo play-maker was a fine scorer for his county too, particularly in the early stages of his intercounty career before he dropped a wee bit deeper. Laverty started his Down career in 2005 and 16 years later he is still lining out for the Magpies. He won the penalty that inspired the Mourne county’s comeback win against Monaghan in the 2012 Ulster semi-final and in the latter years of his career he seemed just as happy to set up scores than to actually finish them. He looks set for a great coaching career after managing the Down u-20s to the Ulster title recently.
- 7 Barry O’Hagan 3-76
- BARRY O’Hagan really caught the eye for Down as they were outclassed by Donegal in Ulster earlier this season with his 0-8 tally moving him up to seventh in the list. The Clonduff man has missed some game-time as he has been in America, but he looks like the sort of player who can help elevate Down to the next level. He may play further back the pitch, but in older brother Darren he has a great teacher in what is needed to a top intercounty player. The new Down boss will be looking a lot from O’Hagan.
- 8 Kevin McKernan 4-72
- WILL Kevin McKernan be around for another season? Only time will tell. The Burren man is the only player in the current Down squad with a winning medal as he was part of the panel for their 2008 Dr McKenna Cup, so he has the longevity to make this list. However, his 4-72 tally is outstanding when you consider that he plays in defence. His trademark score over the years has been an outside of the boot effort when coming onto the ball at pace.
- 9 Darragh O’Hanlon 1-73
- INJURIES have robbed Down of a real scoring threat from defence, and the Kilcoo man deserves a bit of luck when he gets over his most recent surgery. O’Hanlon can land frees from a massive difference, and his one goal in red and black was an important one as his penalty helped Down to a shock Ulster semi-final win over Monaghan in 2017.
- 10 Conor Maginn 8-50
- CONOR Maginn was one of the most underrated players in Ulster since 2010, and as the figures show he could take a goal. He has raised green flags against the likes of Tyrone and Mayo and has long been admired for his on-field intelligence. Maginn was unlucky with injuries but still made a big impression on Down football.
- Follow TheNumbersGael (@TheNumbersGael) on Twitter for more facts and stats.