Ulster SHC/Down 4-25 London 1-17: Despite London's best efforts, there was never a chance they would overcome Down in yesterday's quarter-final, at Casement Park. Down won comfortably but it wasn't plain sailing.
London opened brightly and raced into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after five minutes. They moved the ball swiftly and in centre forward Jim Ryan they had an attacker prepared to run at the Down defence.
Ryan had a great first half but faded after the restart and that took the sting out of the exiles' attack.
The early spree by the visitors was stopped short in the sixth minute when Gareth Johnston fielded a lob from Gabriel Clarke and rattled the London net. Brendan McGourty rifled over his second point immediately to give Down a lead they never again lost.
Five more Mourne points were answered by four from London but the miss of the match fell to the losers' skipper Fergus McMahon. The Meath man was one on one with Down goalkeeper Graham Clarke but his weak shot from close range was easily dealt with.
Down stormed straight downfield for their second goal by Martin Coulter who rounded the defence and tapped the ball into an empty net. By half-time the winners were 2-12 to 0-10 up.
London outscored Down by five points to four over the opening 17 minutes of the second period but managed only three more points before the end. It was obvious legs were dragging as the winners turned up the pressure.
The Points flowed with ease for the winners and in the closing two minutes of the game Down slammed in two more goals.
The first was blasted home by Martin Coulter from a close-in free and the other hit in by Emmett Trainor in the closing seconds.
DOWN: Graham Clarke; L Clarke, S Murray, P Hughes; Gabriel Clarke, G Savage, S Wilson (0-5, four frees, '65); A Savage, P Monan (0-2); E Clarke (0-2), P Braniff (0-2), B McGourty (0-6); M Coulter (2-3, 1-1 frees), G Johnston (1-2), S Clarke (0-2) Subs: E Trainor (1-1) for Braniff (half-time), G Adair for Coulter (61 mins), C Coulter for Hughes, D Flynn for E Clarke (both 67 mins).
LONDON: JJ Burke; D Murphy, T Simms, E Phelan; B Forde, B Foley, J Dillon; M O'Meara (0-3), M Harding (0-5, frees); J McGaughan (0-1), J Ryan (0-2), D Bourke (0-2); M Gordon (0-1), F McMahon (0-1), G Fenton. Subs: P Doyle for Simms (33 mins), E Kindlon (0-2) for Fenton (50 mins), K McMullen (1-0) for McGaughan (55 mins), M Murphy for D Murphy (66 mins).
Referee: A Stapleton (Laois).
