Down up the gears to march into Tailteann Cup last eight

Down have made it into the final eight of the Tailteann Cup with a surging second half win over Longford at Páirc Esler in Newry.

Wides were an obvious issue last week for the Mourne outfit in their loss to Meath, but with the forward thinking Conor Laverty and Marty Clarke on their sideline the response was always going to come.

The reaction came as the wide count dramatically dropped with Down fighting back a three point half-time deficit to win by eight in the finish.

Danny Magill's 45th minute goal drew the sides level and with a quarter final place in sight the hosts never looked like losing.

All the shooting practice during the week paid off as they rattled over the last six points of the game in the eleven point turnaround.

In this fixture back in March, at the same venue, Down relegated the midlanders and with that in mind, Longford began with a menace they could not sustain.

Darragh Doherty and the pacey Keelin McGann were electric on the counter as Down coughed up numerous possession’s down the centre of Longford’s defence.

Veteran centre back Mickey Quinn intercepted and assisted Longford through that bright period as they led 0-07 to 0-04 with less than a half hour played.

Things only got better for Paddy Christie's side when Joe Hagan’s partially blocked effort spun in off the post to make Niall Kane scoff with disbelief.

Kane atoned with two one on one saves from Hagan and Patrick Fox and his clubmate Eugene Branagan responded with a point along with captain Pat Havern and Andrew Gilmore to trail 1-08 to 0-08 at the turn.

Darren Gallagher walloped over a sideline but Longford were beginning to unravel. Down emptied the bench and Magill shone along with fellow subs Ross Carr and Rory Mason.

Longford finished with 13