Hughes the catalyst

Down 3-15; Waterford 1-9: With the breeze at their backs Down had cruised to a 1-10 to 0-3 lead over a loose Waterford side by half-time at Newry yesterday. The visitors were always struggling against a lively Down attack in which the elusive Daniel Hughes was in exciting form.

The threatened second goal arrived early in the second half, when Shane Ward volleyed to the net after the outstanding Paul Houlihan had parried a Hughes effort. There was no way back for the visitors

DOWN: B McVeigh; S Farrell, A Molloy, A Scullion; M Cole, Seán Ward, J Lavery; B Coulter (0-3), D Sheerin; J Clarke, L Doyle (1-4), S Kearney (0-2); D Hughes (1-3), P Turley, Shane Ward (1-2). Subs: G McCartan (0-1) for Sheerin; G McCrickard for Kearney; B Ward for Seán Ward; A O'Prey for Hughes; A Shields for Lavery;

WATERFORD: P Houlihan; N Hennessy, E Rockett, D Hickey; T Costelloe (0-1), A Hubbard, R Hennessy; T Dunphy, K O'Keeffe (0-2); T Whelan, P Queally (0-3), C Watt; N Curran (0-1), S Walsh (0-1), J Coffey (0-1). Subs: M Whelan for Dunphy; P Ogle (1-0) for Whelan; S Barron for Curran.

Referee: P O'Reilly (Longford)