Conor Laverty: Down want to be back at Croke Park for bigger days

Down manager Conor Laverty said their eight-goal demolition of Laois in the Tailteann Cup semi-finals was fuelled by a desire to be competing at Croke Park on "bigger days".

Laverty's side produced a ruthless attacking display, hitting four goals in the opening 17 minutes to quickly put the game to bed, and they added another four majors in the second half as focus shifted to a final date with Meath on 15 July.

The majority of the Down players were making their Croke Park debuts, with the exception of their Kilcoo contingent and a few senior players, but they looked unfazed by their new surroundings while taking Laois to the cleaners.

Down manager Conor Laverty was happy with his side's composure in front of goal as they raised eight green flags against Laois to set up a #TailteannCup rematch against Meath in the final #GAA pic.twitter.com/Sgmzc0VgxW

"That's everybody’s dream, to play at Croke Park, and hopefully some lads fulfilled it," Laverty told RTÉ Sport.

"We’re under no illusions, we want to be here on bigger days. We would swap anything to be coming here next weekend to be playing in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

"But we know where we’re at. We’re just looking forward to the final ahead."

Down captain Pierce Laverty said they their homework done on Laois and shut down their opponents’ kicking game, while their ball movement and finishing was a cut above.

"We knew Laois like to kick the ball and tried to put pressure on them out the field to eliminate that factor, and we did that to the letter of the law," he said.

"They kicked a couple of marks inside but the more pressure we put on, the more the kicks didn’t come in, and that’s where they’re really dangerous.

"Our athleticism and ability to break at pace really shone