Down eyes switch to Clones showdown

By Michael McMullan

DOWN matchwinner Ryan McEvoy was delighted after his goal capped off a late fightback in Brewster Park on Saturday but was instantly looking ahead.

That’s the nature of a one-week turnaround. There is no room for looking backwards. Speaking minutes after Saturday’s final whistle, McEvoy’s thoughts were on three words – Donegal or Monaghan.

Across an eventful career for both Down and his club Kilcoo, McEvoy has played many roles. Full-back and midfield came after his earlier years of playing in attack.

Trailing by seven points, goals from McEvoy and Daniel Guinness spearheaded Down’s fightback.

It takes them into a second Clones semi-final in as many seasons and McEvoy is under no illusions of what they’ll face.

“We know we have a lot of work to do for whoever it may be, Donegal or Monaghan next week,” the Gaelic Life All-Star defender told the Gaelic Lives podcast.

“We’ll worry about that on a Tuesday night or whenever we’re back out on the pitch.”

It will be Ulster champions Donegal who come down the tracks on Sunday after a comeback on a different scale, Monaghan’s fightback that fell short in the dying embers.

It’s a focus Down looked like they wouldn’t need. Fermanagh got to grips with proceedings and their running game looked like it was going to be enough to pull a first Ulster win since their run to the 2018 final.

McEvoy himself looked like he wouldn’t even be on the pitch by the end. Going for a 50-50 ball with Fermanagh goalkeeper Sean McNally, neither as much as reached for the break. Eyes for the ball. Bang. Both men were on the Brewster Park sod.

“I’m delighted that I stayed on after the hefty challenge but I’m delighted to get the goal to finish off the game,” McEvoy said.

“I was just delighted to get that seven points back and get over the line to put ourselves in the semi-final.”

Daniel Guinness hit Down’s first goal that pulled them back to within two points and it was McEvoy’s strike that won the game but he points to the Guinness two-point score as the turning point. From seven points to five with the swing of a leg.

“Whenever he hit the two-pointer I knew it was on,” McEvoy said.

“I knew we were coming back. We started to get the grips on our own kick-outs, their kick-outs and break ball.

“I just knew that we were going to come good. We were cutting through them a couple of times, just maybe a couple of final shots let us down but we got over the line.”

Before that, Down were on rocky ground. Leading 0-10 to 0-5, Pierce Laverty was shown a questionable black card.

“It just goes to show you that losing a man, either it’s black or red, it has a massive impact on a team,” McEvoy said of the tweaked rules.

“You can’t leave two up, that you’re always a man less in your own half. It’s tough now but the (John McGeough) score just on the whistle at half-time settled us.”

Then it was Fermanagh time again with Down goalkeeper Ronan Burns called on to make another vital save.

The u-20 Drumgath stopper was making his debut and it was an evening to remember. His saves kept his side from being pushed out the championship exit door.

“I counted four, four one-on-one goal chances,” McEvoy said of his goalkeeper.

“For all the age of that young fella, what he’s done for this team has been unbelievable. We’re absolutely delighted to have him in, great young fella.”

It was enough to keep Down in the game and when Odhrán Murdock began to catch kick-outs, it gave Guinness and McEvoy the chance to work their magic in the final third.

“When the (Guinness) goal went in, the crowd went mad,” McEvoy said.

“Everybody celebrating and trying to get each other focused again. It just shows the togetherness of this squad.

“We’re as tight-knit a bunch as you’ll ever see, everybody has each other’s backs to the hilt and everybody will go that extra mile for each other.

“That’s what it means to us. It’s all about the togetherness in this group and the squad and the supporters getting behind us.”