Down seconds have been scoring goals for fun this season.

Against derby rivals North Down sixths at a wet and soggy Malone Park last weekend, Mark Graham's young charges again impressed, gunning down their rivals with an explosive first half display.

Tormentor in chief was striker Lewis McIntosh who scored a hat-trick and alongside strike partner Andy Teggart, the duo terrorised the visiting defenders over the 70 minutes.

In fact, all six goals were scored in the first half and while Down were delighted with the home win, they know they could and probably should have scored a lot more goals. The fact they didn't was due to some excellent goalkeeping and poor finishing.

Down, fresh from a superb performance against Campbellians a week earlier, started superbly, pinning the visitors back, with midfield general Gary Brown again conducting things and having a major influence on the game.

The home side took the lead in the 11th minute with Brown starting the sweeping move which led to the goal. His pass found his skipper who scampered down the right wing. Graham was close to the bye-line when he crossed into the penalty area where McIntosh caught the ball on the fly, sending it into the top left hand corner of the net.

Within minutes, the home side led 2-0. The impressive Brown was again the architect of the second goal which was a carbon copy of the first.

The midfield general picked out his skipper whose cross into the penalty area was drilled home by McIntosh who gave the 'keeper no chance

Down made it 3-0 in the 15th minute when Aaron Swail tested the North Down 'keeper with a rasping shot and while it was saved, the rebound fell kindly for Teggart who made no mistake from close range.

North Down were left reeling in the 20th minute when James Ferguson drove forward. His rampaging run took him into the heart of the visitors’ penalty area with his cross taking a deflection off a defender's stick on its way into the back of the net.

Incredibly, the scoring wasn’t over. McIntosh completed his hat-trick from a short corner with just under five minutes to go. An initial short corner strike was saved and when the ball rebounded to Graham he teed up Lewis who made no mistake.

With the umpires about to signal the end of the half, North Down made the most of some indecision in the heart of the home defence to pull a goal back.

Down continued to dominate in the second half, but the North Down 'keeper produced a number of great saves. Graham also had a "goal" disallowed as the ball had struck a team mate on the foot before he put into the net.

Brown also should have got his name on the scoresheet but his shot which had "goal" written all over it was somehow blocked on the line by the 'keeper.

The North Down netminder then denied Graham a certain goal. The home skipper would have bet money on his ferocious shot nestling in the bottom corner, but the visiting goalkeeper somehow managed to keep it out, producing an outstanding save.