Down are through to the second round of the Qualifiers following this facile 4-18 to 0-9 defeat of Leitrim at Newry.

Throw-in was delayed due to crowd congestion at Pairc Esler but those who made it into the border venue were treated to one of the most one-sided matches of the year as Down controlled proceedings from start to finish.

It was over as a contest at the break as James McCartan's charges led by 2-10 to 0-4.

Two Emlyn Mulligan points kept the visitors in touch after seven minutes - 0-3 to 0-2, with Conor Laverty, Dan Gordon and Donal O'Hare on target for the winners - but Laverty and Conor Maginn added further points before the ball was bundled to the back of the Leitrim net by Laverty following a goalmouth scramble in the ninth minute.

Niall Madine tagged on the second Down major and the hosts closed the first half with a run of points from Maginn, O'Hare, Benny Coulter and goalkeeper Michael Cunningham ('45'), while Sean McWeeney and Robert Lowe posted Leitrim scores in between.

Laverty plundered the third Down goal in the ninth minute of the second half, with O'Hare, Laverty (0-2) and Coulter all registering before Gary Reynolds popped over the FBD Connacht league winners' first score of the second half: 3-14 to 0-5 after 50 minutes.

Substitute Damien Turley notched the fourth goal at the start of the fourth quarter as Down easily progressed. Leitrim's season is over.

Down - M Cunningham (0-1f); D O'Hagan, N Donnelly, D McCartan; K McKernan (0-1), C Garvey, C McCartan; D Gordon (0-1), P Turley; B Coulter (0-2), C Maginn (0-1), M Poland (0-2); D O'Hare (0-4, 3f), N Madine (1-0), C Laverty (2-4). Subs: L Doyle (0-2f) for D O'Hare, C Toner for P Turley, E McCartan for N Madine, D Turley (1-0) for B Coulter, O Costello for D McCartan, A Carr for C Garvey.

Leitrim - P Farrelly; A Wynne, D Wrynn, B McWeeney; B Prior, G Reynolds (0-1), S McWeeney (0-1); D Sweeney, D Moran; A McLoughlin, E Mulligan (0-5, 4f), G Hickey; R Cox, R Lowe (0-1), K Conlon. Subs: F Clancy for A McLoughlin, M McWeeney for D Moran, N Moore (0-1) for R Lowe, C Conlon for R Cox, A Hickey for G Hickey.

Referee - A Nolan. Tweet

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