Down boss Conor Laverty sees Wicklow as “very dangerous opposition” for his side in Saturday’s Tailteann Cup final.

Playing in their third second-tier decider, the Mourne men are hot favourites (3/10) to record what would be their second success in three years in the competition.

However, speaking to media this week ahead of the final, Laverty says that the quality of players Wicklow possess means that his side will need to be at their best to get over the line.

“I think that Wicklow's performance against Offaly in the second-half (of the Tailteann Cup semi-final) and their performance against Dublin in the Leinster championship shows you the quality that they have,” he told GAA.ie.

“They have a manager (Oisín McConville) who has been a winner with his club and with his county and he has instilled serious belief in them.

“So they're going to come to Croke Park and they're going to be coming here to play football and they’ll have no fear of Down so they'll be very, very dangerous.

“The calibre of players from Mark Jackson in nets who's possibly one of the best goalkeepers in the country, to Dean Healy in the middle of the field, to Chris O'Brien who shot the lights out the last day, is very high.

“So, we understand the challenge that lies ahead of the quality of players that they have and the performances that they've put in over this season and going back to last season and the season before where they took a lot of big scalps in the Tailteann Cup over the years.

“They beat Westmeath last year in the Tailteann Cup so they're a very dangerous opposition.”

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