Conor Laverty hails 'brilliant' Pat Havern after Down victory

Down manager Conor Laverty heaped praised on influential attacker Pat Havern after his magnificent display helped the Mourne men reach the Tailteann Cup final.

Havern was a thorn in the Sligo side as the Ulster outfit eventually edged out the Yeats County after extra-time, despite trailing for a large part of the game.

Havern scored 0-07, with 0-03 from play, in an open contest at Croke Park that was anything but defensive.

He utilised space in attack, with the Down boss revealing his intention was to use the player in midfield.

Laverty told RTÉ Sport: "Pat was brilliant.

"The past few times we came to Croke Park...I probably challenged him this week that he needed to perform.

"He's probably dipped below his own standards whenever we've been here, and I thought he showed real leadership whenever we needed him in that first half.

"Pat was meant to be playing midfield the whole game. But he was totally getting ahead of the ball. Whenever we were in possession he was totally getting ahead, but he is playing a lot more of his football in around that middle third at the minute.

"It probably gives him a wee bit more freedom. But he is getting man marked now more and because he is such a scoring threat for us.

"He's a very resilient lad. In my term he's the lad who has been playing the most. He never misses training, he is always on the training pitch, night after night, playing every McKenna Cup game, every league game.

"I don't think he's missed a match [for me]."

'It was a titanic battle there... the red card probably changed the game then' - Down manager Conor Laverty reflects with the RTÉ panel after his side finally saw off Sligo in extra-time to reach another Tailteann Cup final