Benny Coulter says there's "not too many positives" to be taken from Down's national football league campaign.

The Mourne County were relegated to the third tier for 2019 - a real downer heading into their Ulster championship quarter-final against Antrim next month:

"The players looked nervous against a depleted Tipperary side and confidence will be really low for the next two or three weeks," former Down great Coulter comments in The Irish Daily Sun. "Caolan Mooney is going from strength to strength and is Down's best player this year but apart from that, there's not too many ­positives.

"Kevin McKernan wasn't really in the team until two or three weeks ago but he is a leader and certainly needs to start against Antrim. With Darren O'Hagan missing, they definitely lack leadership. There aren't too many experienced players out there and bar Kevin, you couldn't go around any of the players and say they're leaders.

"The players will be under pressure when they come back to Newry because everyone will expect Down to beat Antrim and Antrim will have nothing to lose."

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