By Michael McMullan

THE million-dollar question for Down on Sunday was how they step out of the rubble of their Ulster exit at the hands of Armagh.

With Westmeath’s win over Kildare, it combined to leave Conor Laverty’s side back in the Tailteann Cup.

It was a tough day at the office as Armagh eased to a comfortable win and it came just seven days after Down’s high of Letterkenny and knocking out Donegal.

Down will now welcome Leitrim to Páirc Esler on the weekend of May 16/17, a team managed by Mourne man Steven Poacher.

It’s a disappointing turn after last season’s progress in the Sam Maguire gave Down a taste what an upward trajectory looked like.

Laverty faced up to the media in Clones despite the utter dejection. How does he face up to getting the troops back into the frame of mind for battle for another tilt at the Tailteann Cup?

Should they win the competition, it would stamp their passport for a trip down the Sam Maguire path for 2027.

“That’s the million-dollar question,” he said. “It’s too early now to explain how that plans because it wasn’t in our thoughts at all.”

Laverty used the reflection word. A dig into what took them to victory over Donegal and what left them chasing Armagh’s heels.

“We’ll have to chat to the lads and see where our hunger is at,” he added.

“We are in the Tailteann Cup now, it wasn’t in our plans. but, that’s life, that’s where we are at.

“Fair play to Westmeath, they didn’t get out of Division Three, but, for their performances over the last couple of weeks, you have to give them credit for that as well.”

Planning

Laverty cut a lonely figure along the sideline in Clones. After pouring himself into all things Kilcoo and Down, it was the level of Down preparation that saw them overturn Donegal.

It was the same forensic planning that almost chinned Armagh in 2024 and asked Donegal plenty of questions last season.

After a bright opening on Sunday, Down were 0-5 to 0-2 ahead before goals from Conor Turbitt and Tomás McCormack shot Armagh into an 11-point interval lead.

Down never recovered and a ruthless Armagh side played the game on their own terms. It was electrifying at times. Relentless is another word. Laverty used the “one-way traffic” comparison.

“Armagh were the supreme team, they overrun us in every facet of the game,” he honestly admitted.

As the Down players finalised their preparations in Clones, Kildare and Westmeath headed to extra-time in Tullamore before Mark McHugh’s secured victory.

While Laverty didn’t indicate if he replayed the Westmeath result to his players, he fully accepted the cards that were coming their way.

“We all knew that was the rules so there’s no point complaining about that,” he said.

“That’s just where it is. We probably felt we had done our part in Division Three to win it and it was still in our own hands coming into today (Sunday versus Armagh). It’s not where we wanted to be, it’s not where the group wanted to be.

“We’ll have to dust ourselves down now and reassess things and have a long hard think about the next part of the jigsaw,” he added, “and how we approach this and what manner we approach the Tailteann Cup and how the group feel going into it.”

Check out this week’s review show, looking back at last weekend’s Ulster SFC games.