Captain Pierce Laverty wants Tailteann Cup triumph to mark youthful Down's progression

There is a sense in Down that no matter what the upcoming Tailteann Cup final against Meath will bring, their journey will continue.

The Mourne men recorded five wins in the Allianz Football League this spring but lost to Cavan and Fermanagh, which ultimately cost them a place in Division 2 next year.

But they learned from each defeat and responded in style with a great win over Donegal in the Ulster SFC, and now an impressive run to the second-tier decider that will see them play the Royal County on Saturday (Live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player).

The road has been trod with a core group of young players, most of whom played their first game at Croke Park against Laois in the recent one-side Tailteann semi-final.

"We're a very young team, most of the lads are around the 23 or 24 mark," says Down skipper Pierce Laverty.

"We are not going to automatically leap to where we want to get to in one season, so this competition is huge for us. It's the one we are in and the one we want to win.

"Even the last day, for most of us to play at Croke Park for the first time and get used to the setting and the stadium was a huge thing.

"We're still young and still inexperienced so the more games like this we can play the better it will be for Down football."

Manager Conor Laverty, no relation, coached a lot of the current senior panel at under-20 and that group they will form the nucleus of the Down team for the next decade.

It’s a team with athleticism and pace to burn and the future looks bright.

"The buzz is unreal around the place at the moment with flags up all over the place from my own club (Saul) all the way into Newry.

"Conor has come in and revitalised the whole set-up. We have a group here that really wants to play with Down. There is a real