Coming out of Healy Park, Omagh yesterday, the chatter evoked the remembrance of times past. The quality of the day and the scoreline bore some comparison with Down's championship starter in 1994. Others said the mood resembled that which prevailed in the county in 1991. You paid your money and you took your choice but either way the auguries were positive and healthy.

This was the best Down display in some years. If their full back line creaked dangerously at times, they rectified the problems and survived the not insignificant threat of a solid Tyrone attack to play some confident and stylish football redolent of the good times.

Tyrone, weakened by unavoidable injuries and missing the casualties of their own guerilla wars, almost pulled off a shock. In the end though, Down had too much hunger and too much class.

It was a great day for the elderly. Ross Carr who can hardly remember when he was a spring chicken had a memorable afternoon, scoring five points from play and setting up countless other chances. Mickey Linden blossomed after a tentative start.

James McCartan got through more work than we have seen the past couple of years.

There were bright spots elsewhere too. Shane Mulholland, 22 today and making his big-time debut, submitted a display of some confidence and panache suggesting that Down's mix of players is just right for the long haul.

They had their troubles of course. Being on the road to success in Ulster doesn't mean that you don't get held up at every stop. Playing with what wind a splendid day had to offer, Down started confidently but their defensive troubles soon emerged.

Eoin Gormley, the big Errigal Chiarain full forward, caused Brian Burns all manner of problems. The Down full back, hampered by the sun in his eyes and a dodgy hamstring, was withdrawn just before half-time allowing Sean Ward to move from midfield to full back early in the second half. Finally Down looked a little more solid but some damage had been done by then.

First blood was drawn in the 27th minute by which time Tyrone had a right to feel that they should have had a couple of goals. Ciaran Loughran fed Davitt McElroy as he steamed through. The big midfielder was pulled down in the square and Adrian Cush calmly slotted home the resultant penalty.

Minutes later Tyrone were claiming another penalty. They looked to have a good case but referees seldom award two penalties in five minutes in Ulster, unless they are balancing things out morally. Brian Dooher had the ball in the net after Mickey McVeigh saved well from Loughran but then let the ball slip loose. But Dooher was penalised for picking up the ball and Down took oxygen.

The second half began as ominously for Down as the first had ended. A couple of minutes in and Micheal Magill completely misjudged a ball from McKenna. Gormley flicked the ball into the path of Stephen Lawn who crashed home a fine score. Cush inflicted more damage two minutes later with a point from a free while Down struggled to regain their shape.

With Sean Ward moving into full back, James McCartan abandoned the corner forward posting he had begun the game with and came looking for ball around the middle third of the field. His presence there was instrumental in swinging the game Down's way.

Linden too became more prominent and McCartan and Carr began picking up everything that was running loose from the midfield battle. From the 10th minute of the second half Carr had as golden a spell as he has enjoyed in his long career.

He said afterwards that he had kept telling himself that this might be his last chance at championship football. He certainly played with the urgency of a man fleeing a death sentence. He scored his third point of the afternoon on 45 minutes having taken a perceptive pass from Magill. He added another two minutes later while Linden popped up on the end of a good ball from McCartan to keep the pressure on.

By now Tyrone were pulling players back in search of improved possession. Just Lawn and Gormley remained in a two-pronged full forward line as all hands were applied to the deck in the middle of the field. Greg McCartan was becoming increasingly influential however and the changes in personnel and emphasis had little effect.

Meanwhile Carr was still prospering. He added another two points in the space of as many minutes, the second of which brought Down level. There were 14 minutes left at that stage but the game had a certain inevitability about it. Mulholland added a couple of frees and although Cush pulled one back from a dead ball it was left to substitute Shane Ward to add the grace note with a score in injury time.

History tells us that Down are a better side as summers mature. Armagh, their opponents in four weeks' time, will have taken note.