Laboured Down keep stubborn Antrim at arm's length

Down laboured to a four-point win over Antrim to set up an Ulster SFC semi-final meeting with either Armagh or Fermanagh, never falling behind in a scrappy Pairc Esler encounter.

The Mourne men never looked like losing to an Antrim side that appeared intent for the most part on damage limitation, but struggled to break down a stubborn opponent.

Leading by three points at the interval, the home side failed to drive home the advantage with the wind in their backs in the second half.

Manager Conor Laverty has many issues to address in his pursuit of an extended championship run, not least the fact that his starting attacking unit delivered just one point from play in 83 minutes of football.

Tensions were evident before a ball was even kicked as players from both sides jostled as they broke from the pre-match parade, prompting referee Barry Cassidy to book Down midfielder Odhran Murdock and Antrim centre-back Joe Finnegan.

Yellow turned to black for the Saffrons after just two minutes as Conor Hand was sent for ten minutes in the sin-bin for halting the run of Ryan McEvoy, who had already shot the home side ahead.

Little damage was inflicted during that spell and, while Antrim crafted the only genuine goal chance of the first half, they otherwise displayed little ambition despite having the strong wind in their backs.

It was Finnegan who too easily wrestled free of two defenders to fire in a shot that 'keeper John O'Hare deflected out for a ’45, which his opposite number Michael Byrne drilled between the posts.

Ryan McQuillan brought the visitors level on 15 minutes, but they were for the most part content to retreat in numbers deep into their own half to stifle their opponents’ offensive threat.

Down’s own failings helped in that