Down bring the Tailteann Cup home

A decade-long drought ended for Down in Croke Park on Saturday when they claimed the Tailteann Cup with a two-point victory over Laois..

It cemented a great year for Conor Laverty's men who won promotion to Division 2 and by claiming the trophy, have secured their place in Sam Maguire football next year.

GAA President Jarlath Burns invited Down captain Pierce Laverty to accept the Tailteann Cup after Odhran Murdock was named Man-of-the- Match, with the Armagh man saying that he believes Down belong in the top tier, as his county prepared to take to the stage against Kerry for the All-Ireland Championship semi-final.

Down were deserving winners on Saturday but Laois scored two goals – the second an absolute cracker – and they came close to a third at the death that would have changed the result.

The Mourne County held their nerve in those crucial moments however and as half-back Miceal Rooney said, “earned their luck.”

Down led by three points after five minutes and by two at half-time but in-between, while they were the better side, Laois threatened the Down goal more than once and hit their first maximum in the ninth minute.

Liam Kerr, who had been used as an impact sub in recent games, started on Saturday and sent the opening point over the bar. Laois broke forward after that but the threat was dealt with by Ryan McEvoy and then Peter Fegan and points from Pat Havern and Shealan Johnston gave the Mournemen a three-point cushion before Mark Barry opened Laois's account sending the ball over the bar in the sixth minute.

Disaster struck for Down, wiping out all their good work three minutes later, when Laois broke again with James Kelly getting the ball away to Brian Byrne whose shot on goal was palmed away by Down keeper John O'Hare. It fell straight to the unmarked Seamus Lacey however and he stuck the rebound in the net.

That put Laois into a 1-1 to 0-3 lead and Down's response was the first of two wides for Ryan Johnston.

The Kilcoo veteran was involved in the next point however as was Daniel Guinness and Shealan Johnston, that Jonny Flynn sent over the bar to level proceedings again.

Evan O'Carroll replied, but a super point from Havern and a third-time-lucky score for Ryan Johnston put Down into an 0-6 to 1-2 lead.

A great interception by Rooney led to a shot on goal by Kerr but it was the wrong option, as he shot straight to the Laois keeper and they almost nabbed a second goal with Niall Dunne finding a way through and coming close and then Damon Larkin from the loose ball. But this time Down got numbers back in time and a brilliant brace of points from Odhran Murdock following a couple of good interceptions at the back by Daniel Guinness gave Laverty's men an 0-8 to 1-2 advantage as half-time approached.

The first free of the afternoon was awarded to Laois on 34 minutes that their keeper Killian Roach sent between the sticks but moments earlier Roche was called into action with John McGovern coming close to a maximum. Mark Timmons denied the Down forward however and swatted to his keeper leaving the half-time score 0-8 to 1-3 in favour of the Mourne County.

Conor Heffernan narrowed the margin to a point after the restart and McGovern sent a mark wide before being replaced by Rostrevor's Caolan Mooney.

Roche sent a free from the '45 wide but another from closer range taken by Barry was scored to level the game 0-8 to 1-5 with 43 minutes on the clock and seconds later Paul Kingston gave Laois the lead with another converted free.

Half-time sub Danny Magill opened his account with a point to square the game again and he nabbed his second minutes later but this final was turning into a cagey affair as the half wore on.

Down captain Pierce Laverty threw his body on the ball to deny Eoin Lowry a passage through for goal and that led to a point from Murdock giving Down a two-point lead again 0-11 to 1-6 with 53 minutes played. But Laois came close to a goal again when another free taken by Roche dropped short and was almost bundled into the net.

Down slowed the pace of the game down with a good team move leading to a Mooney point putting daylight between the teams again and a good steal by Shealan Johnston allowed for another slow build-up, keeping his side in possession and frustrating their opponents who eventually fouled Kerr.

Havern sent Down's first free of the game over the bar on 65 minutes with the Tailteann Cup increasingly in their sights.

Another Laois attack was thwarted resulting in a point by Fegan set up sweetly by Mooney but just when it looked like it was all over for Laois Barry broke through the middle and with a brilliant soccer-style finish, drilled into the net to narrow Down's lead to two 0-14 to 2-6 as the four minutes stoppage time began.

The scares weren't over yet either, as after Barry missed a pointed effort Roche dropped the ball into the square from long-range and it was just about kept out of the net by the Down defence.

That proved to be enough in the end, with no more chances for Laois and the final score reading 0-14 to 2-6.

MATCH STATS

Down: John O'Hare, Peter Fegan (0-1), Ryan McEvoy, Pierce Laverty; Miceal Rooney, Daniel Guinness, Shealan Johnston (0-1); Jonny Flynn (0-1), Odhran Murdock (0-3); Ryan Magill, James Guinness, Ryan Johnston (0-1); Liam Kerr (0-1), Pat Havern (0-3, 1f), John McGovern

Subs: Caolan Mooney (0-1) for McGovern (38mins), Danny Magill (0-2) for Rooney (44mins), Ryan Magill for J Guinness (56mins), Conor McCrickard for R Johnston (68mins), Finn McElroy for Kerr (70+2mins)

Laois: Killian Roche (0-1,free); James Kelly, Simon Fingleton, Mark Timmons; Seamus Lacey (1-0), Brian Byrne, Ben Dempsey; Damon Larkin, Conor Heffernan (0-1); Niall Dunne, Evan O'Carroll (0-1), Kevin Swayne; Mark Barry (1-2,1f), Eoin Lowry, Paul Kingston (0-1,f)

Subs: Rioghan Murphy for Lowry (56mins), Shaun Fitzpatrick for Kingston (65mins), Ciaran Burke for Dunne (68mins)

Referee: Brendan Griffin:Kerry