Player-driven group pleases Conor Laverty as Down eye next level

In 2022, Down failed to win a single match in league and championship, a year that started on a bright note for the county with Kilcoo dramatically winning the All-Ireland club championship.

Joint-captain on that February day was Conor Laverty, a member of the Down side that reached the Sam Maguire decider in 2010.

A dozen years on and Laverty was still in the thick of it, helping his club win silverware and then coaching the county to an Ulster U-20 success. But at senior level, the Mournemen were struggling. James McCartan's second coming as boss was blighted by poor results and player defections, with a number of high-profile Kilcoo squad members not making themselves available for selection.

Down's footballing nadir was being played out. And then Laverty was asked step up. The graph is on the rise again. 2023 saw the Red and Black reach the Tailteann Cup final. This year promotion to Division 2 was achieved before Armagh were ran close in the Ulster semi-final.

The Tailteann beckoned again, with Down fancied to go better better than 12 months ago. Saturday afternoon sees them take on Laois in this year's decider.

Leaving a trio of pre-season McKenna Cups aside, it's 30 years since Down have won silverware of note. A drizzly September afternoon marked the county's last All-Ireland victory. At that time it was five final appearances - five victories. The aristocrats of Ulster had become the aristocrats of Ireland. Laverty's hope is that Down can get back to the glory days and he's very determined to play his part in raising expectations further.

Speaking to the media ahead of the Tailteann Cup final, he said: "I'm investing in it now, I really am. I don't like being part of something and it not going well, or being part of