18 July 2003 Mourne Girls "Down" But Not Out Share this Article 0 0 0 Shares! 0 Shares! Ulster Senior Semi-Final 15/7/03 Down senior ladies find themselves in a strange situation at present, surely feeling a sense of deja-vu. For the second time in three weeks they find themselves preparing for an Ulster Championship semi-final, this time against Monaghan. Having been defeated by Tyrone two weeks ago, Down receive a reprieve as there are only three teams involved in this years championship. Should they gain victory over Monaghan, they would face Tyrone again in the provincial decider, and be in the peculiar situation of having played in both semi-finals and a final. Down will once again enter a game as underdogs, which is usually the case when facing the reigning Ulster champions. However, Down will take heart from a much-improved performance against Tyrone, a fact not lost on Mourne Captain Aoibheann Downey. “Although Tyrone beat us quite comfortably in the end, we can look on the positive side in that we dominated for long periods in all areas, especially at the start of the second half. Unfortunately we were unable to turn this dominance into scores”states the midfielder. Downey points to inexperience in comparison to the opposition as the single greatest factor in the game.” Towards the end, Tyrone had the more experienced players, seasoned campaigners, who shone through when it mattered.” According to Downey, parallels can be drawn between the Tyrone game and this one; “Once again we find ourselves going into the game as underdogs, which maybe suits us. Our girls, especially the younger players, have learnt a lot from the Tyrone match and hopefully we should be better prepared for this game. With an extra competitive match under our belt, we will be much sharper to the ball, which was our downfall a bit against Tyrone.” The margin of the Tyrone victory in the semi-final did not do justice to what was in reality a spirited Down performance, and Downey feels that the Mourne side can definitely up their performance. Down relied heavily on the free-kicks of Michaela Downey and Lisa Morgan, both of whom were extremely efficient from dead ball situations, and Down will hope to present them with further scoring opportunities on Sunday. Monaghan of course have their own problems heading into the game, with a number of injuries to key players. Downey is sceptical of how much of an advantage this will be for Down.”“Although Monaghan are missing a few of their big names, they have so many players who can fill the berth. You only have to look at the strength of the Monaghan B squad which scored six goals against Derry to see the strength and depth of talent they possess.” A second opportunity for Down in Ulster, facing the reigning champions, with the opportunity for revenge against Tyrone in the Ulster decider as an added incentive to win. The scene is set for a Down triumph, but this is the Ulster Championship and the girls from the Mourne county know that it will take the same sort of passion and drive which saw them capture the All-Ireland Junior title if they are to overcome the odds. Share this Article 0 0