WHILE Conor Laverty and his Down team believed they would see out the group stages with three wins from three, they can taking plenty of learnings from their hectic tie with Ulster rivals Monaghan, which ended in a narrow defeat.

Midway through the second period, the Mourne men were four-points ahead and looked like the team best placed to reach the All-Ireland quarter-finals. But Monaghan had other ideas at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds.

Jack McCarron’s impact off the bench, along with his goal, helped turn the tide for the Farney men and they ran out four-point winners. Down will now have a home preliminary quarter-final next weekend, where they’ll face Connacht champions Galway.

“I thought there was a period in the second half, whenever we were four up, we had got two attacks and didn’t get scores from them,” recalled Laverty. “I felt that, it’s hard to remember all the things at different times, but I felt that hurt us whenever we attacked twice.

“And then we had our hands on the ball again and we gave it away and they got crucial scores from probably our mistakes at that time. Then I think the game just, the infraction (for breaking the 3v3 rule) for me was a big moment.

“The game was going back and forward and flowing reasonably well. Whenever they got their hands on the ball, they were probably getting their shots away. Then at that stage, there was two in it, I think the infraction put it out to four.

“That gave Monaghan that wee bit of breathing space. They used probably their experience to keep the ball and to suck a wee bit of energy out of the game. The franticness went out of it a wee bit.

“We got back into it and we had good opportunities. I know they had a couple of goal opportunities, but we fisted one over the bar. I’m not sure if there was a goal chance on, but I’m really, really proud of the lads.

“We came here today with massive belief. We came here today to win the game and I think that’s a good sign of where this Down team has come from and the progress that they’re making.”