Down 1-12 Sligo 2-5: Down produced a vintage second-half display to overcome Sligo at Páirc Esler, Newry, on Saturday night.
Down came from six points behind at the interval - 2-4 to 0-4 - to storm through the second period scoring a goal and eight points and restricting Sligo to a single point.
Mark Breheny and Eamon Cawley scored the goals to give the visiting side that half-time advantage.
To add to Sligo's woes at full-time, Eamonn O'Hara received a straight red card a minute before the final whistle.
Down's goal came with three minutes of the game remaining when John Clarke and Paul McComiskey set up Jackie Lynch and he finished to seal the victory for the Ulster side.
DOWN: B McVeigh; C McGovern, G McArdle, M Cole; D O'Hanlon , L Doyle (0-1), K McGuigan; D Gordon, J Lynch (1-1); J Fegan (0-5), K McKernan (0-1), D Hughes (0-3); J Clarke, C Magee, R Sexton. Subs: P McComiskey (0-1)for Magee, C Murney for McGovern, B Coulter for McKernan, R Murtagh for McGuigan.
SLIGO: P Green; C Harrison, N Maguire, R Donovan; J Davey, M McNamara, P McGovern; K Byrne (0-1), K Quinn; M Breheny (1-1), E O'Hara (0-1), B Curran; E Cawley (1-0), K Sweeney (0-1), D Kelly (0-1). Subs: P Gallagher for Breheny, G McGowan for Curran, P Wilson for Quinn, D Davey for Kelly.
Referee: D Coldrick(Meath).
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