Down 1-15 – 2-10 Donegal (after extra time)
Down will meet Tyrone in the Ulster semi-final after an extra-time victory over Donegal in Ballybofey on Sunday afternoon.
Down captain Benny Coulter delivered the telling blow with only three minutes left in the second half of extra-time, rounding Paul Durcan in the Donegal goal and firing to the net after Martin Clarke had put him in the clear.
Coulter was inspirational throughout for the winners, scoring 1-4 in total, all from play, but he was often to be seen further out the field helping out his defence and midfield and instigating other attacks.
Down were the better side in the opening half but were behind at the break after conceding goals from Dermot Molloy and Conal Dunne. The goals aside, Donegal were lacklustre in attack and were over reliant on a tactic of sending high ball on top of star attacker Michael Murphy.
Along with Coulter, Mark Poland and Daniel Hughes were extremely lively for Down and continued to threaten in the second period when Down again had the better of the hosts. Martin Clarke looked to have settled the issue in normal time when he pointed a 45’ on the stroke of full time, but Rory Kavanagh fired over an inspirational score for Donegal to send the game to extra time.
That score should have given Donegal a boost going into extra time, but Down again took the game to their opponents, with Coulter and Hughes firing over points before the former’s goal finished the game as a contest.
Roscommon 0-14 – 0-6 London
Nine points from Donal Shine helped Roscommon to an eight point victory over London in an uninspiring Connacht championship clash at Ruislip on Sunday afternoon.
Many pundits suspected an upset might be in store, but a win was never in doubt for Fergal O’Donnell’s men, who led by six points at the break and held off a late fight back from the Exiles to comfortably prevail in the end.
The Rossies’ will now face Leitrim in the Connacht semi-final in three weeks time.
