Down secure top tier status with Tailteann Cup victory

Down's Shealan Johnston holds on to possession in Croke Park during the county's Tailteann Cup win over Laois

Down will play for the Sam Maguire in 2025 after beating Laois 0-14 to 2-6 in the Tailteann Cup final to secure a place in the GAA's All-Ireland series.

The Mourne county led for most of the game but Laois mounted a spirited fightback late on with a wonder goal by Mark Barry and Down also had to scramble the ball off their own goal line in injury time to hang on for an important win.

Down's nerves in the closing moments were understandable given they had spurned four opportunities to earn top-flight status in the last two years.

Two of those defeats were in the finals at Croke Park - both last year's Tailteann Cup final against Meath and this year's Division Three league decider to Westmeath - and the relief on the players' faces after the final whistle on Saturday told its own story.

The pressure was on Down to finally deliver and while they were far from efficient in the first half they still led 0-8 to 1-3 at half time.

Laois stayed in the contest through Seamus Lacey's goal after 11 minutes and they started the second half brightly with three points in a row to briefly take the lead.

Down steadied the ship with subs Danny Magill and Caolan Mooney on target and survived a frantic finish to secure a place in the coveted 'Super 16s' next season.

Seamus Lacey scored a first-half goal for Laois

Down had not won silverware in Croke Park since their lifting the last of their five Sam Maguires in 1994.

The intervening 30 years have witnessed some highs and lows and for a county boasting such a rich tradition, playing second tier championship football again in 2025 must have been an unpalatable prospect.

The freak 22-point hammering of Laois in last year’s Tailteann Cup semi-final was never on the cards here.

The return of Justin McNulty as Laois manager resulted in a Division Four title this year and they remained competitive throughout this contest.

Yet there was always a feeling that Down’s cohesion and firepower would get them over the line.

They had nine scorers over the game compared to Laois’ five with Odhran Murdock and Pat Havern scoring 0-3 each from play.

Liam Kerr, Havern and Shealan Johnston score the first three points of the game inside the opening four minutes but Laois hit back with Lacey’s goal.

Down ‘keeper John O’Hare flapped at a high ball in and it fell straight to Lacey who drilled the ball low into the far corner of the net.

Despite six first-half wides, Down’s running game and slick hands trumped Laois’ more direct kicking game and Ryan Johnston, Havern and Daniel Guinness tagged on further scores before the interval.

Down manager Conor Laverty had plenty to ponder at half time

Down can't have been happy their dominance in the first half only gave them a two-point lead at the break while Laois were surely capable of better in the second half.

Conor Heffernan's point and frees from Barry and Paul Kingston put them 1-6 to 0-8 ahead but Down's bench came to the party with Danny Magill hitting 0-2 from play within six minutes of his introduction.

Brian Byrne, who'd scored two goals in the semi-final win over Antrim, hit the post as the game began to open up with chances at both ends.

When Mooney, Havern and Peter Fegan stretched Down's lead out to 0-14 to 1-6 with two minutes of normal time remaining, it appeared as though the game would fizzle out.

However a combination of Down getting tight and Laois throwing the shackles off and deciding to go for it, led to an eventful final few minutes with Barry's superb goal, unleashing a left-footed strike from outside the 'D', giving Laois hope.

Down survived a mad goalmouth scramble to get over the line and their supporters can now look forward to taking on gaelic football's elite teams in 2025.

Down: J O’Hare; P Fegan (0-1), R McEvoy, P Laverty; M Rooney, D Guinness (0-1), S Johnston (0-1); J Flynn, O Murdock (0-3); P McCarthy, J Guinness, R Johnston (0-1); L Kerr (0-1), P Havern (0-3), J McGovern

Subs: C Mooney (0-1) for McGovern (39), D Magill (0-2) for Rooney (44), R Magill for J Guinness (57), C McCrickard for R Johnston (69), F McElroy for Kerr (73)

Laois: K Roche (0-1, f); J Kelly, S Fingleton, M Timmons; S Lacey (1-0), B Byrne, B Dempsey; D Larkin, C Heffernan (0-1); N Dunne, E O’Carroll (0-1), K Swayne; M Barry (1-2, 1f), E Lowry, P Kingston (0-1, f)

Subs: R Murphy for Lowry (57), S Fitzpatrick for Kingston (66), K Lillis for Larkin (69), C Burke for Dunne (70), E Buggie for Kelly (71)

Referee: Brendan Griffin (Kerry)

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