Down 2-15 Offaly 1-7:DOWN'S PROMOTION drive is back on track following this victory over Offaly in a highly entertaining game in Newry on Saturday night.
The winners could afford the luxury of missing a penalty midway through the first half when Alan Mulhall in the Offaly goal saved an Aidan Carr effort.
Offaly’s only moment of glory came after 10 minutes when an effort from Karol Slattery came back off an upright and Niall McNamee was on hand to send to the net.
Three Benny Coulter points sent Down on their way and when Stephen Kearney sent to the net Down led by 1-7 to 1-3 at half-time.
Down controlled the second half the game and a Ronan Murtagh goal after 10 minutes was the signal for all out attack with points flowing at regular intervals.
DOWN: B McVeigh; C McGovern, A Carr (0-1 free), L Howard; D Rafferty, K McKernan, D Rooney; J Lynch, S Kearney (1-0); B McArdle, J Boyle, P McComiskey (0-5, two frees); D Hughes (0-3), R Murtagh (1-1), B Coulter (0-4). Subs: A Rodgers for McKernan (30 mins), P Fitzpatrick (0-1) for Lynch (half-time), J Fegan for Boyle (60 mins), J O’Reilly for Kearney (62 mins), C Magee for Murtagh (67 mins).
OFFALY: A Mulhall; J Quinn, S Sullivan, B Darby; S Ryan (0-1), G Rafferty, M Mitchell; J Reynolds, C McManus (0-2, frees); C Carroll, K Slattery, N Smith; T Deehan (0-1), N Darby (0-2), N McNamee (1-1). Subs: N Coughlan for Carroll (46 mins), A McNamee for Ryan (48 mins), P McConway for Mitchell (yellow, 55 mins), C Evans for Rafferty (yellow, 58 mins), J Coughlan for Reynolds (58 mins), PJ Ward for Deehan (66 mins).
Referee: J White (Donegal).
