Saturday 28th October – IFA Harry Cavan Youth Cup 1st Round

Downpatrick FC 4 v Hillsborough Boys 1

Downpatrick’s first adventure into the Harry Cavan Youth Cup turned out to be a positive affair with the boys advancing to the quarter-finals. As expected the game started at a frantic pace with both sides cancelling each other out, but after 15 minutes Downpatrick began to get a foot hold in the game with Kian Tierney, Joe Healy and Andrew McCoubrey controlling the midfield.

Declan Burns was a constant threat down the right wing and he began creating chances for his team, with one run down the wing before cutting inside his defender and sliding a perfect pass into the path of Declan Looney who fired home to give his side the lead. Within minutes Burns was at it again, this time he got on the end of Nathan McShane cross and comfortably passed the ball into the net to make it two nil. Just before halftime Hillsborough got one back, their corner was cleared to the edge of the Downpatrick box their midfielder fired a shot in through the crowd and it found its way into the back of the Downpatrick net.

Half Time: Downpatrick FC 2 v Hillsborough Boys 1

Downpatrick started the second half on the front foot after McShane was moved into the middle of the park giving his side much needed drive. It was Burns again who turned provider when he crossed for Joe Healy to place a perfect header into the bottom corner of the net to double his team’s advantage.

Nathan McShane then picked the ball up in the middle of the park and breezed past three players and hit a rocket into the bottom corner from twenty yards out. A lot of praise has to be given to the defence they worked tirelessly to give their teammates a solid platform to play off, with left back Paul Savill getting man of the match.