Down seconds shocked Junior 6 league leaders Lisnagarvey sevenths at Malone Park last Saturday.

The most pleasing aspect of the game was the performance of the home side's young players. Down fielded seven teenagers and this augurs well for the future, with all the schoolboys equipping themselves very well. The busiest man in the first half was the Lisnagarvey goalkeeper who denied Cecil Telford, Mark Graham and Jeremy McCready with great saves as the home side piled on the pressure.

At the other end, home netminder David Moreland had only a few routine saves to make.

Down pressure paid off in the 31st minute when Trevor Lennon's drive from just inside the penalty area nestled in the back of the net with the Ôkeeper unable to get his outstretched foot to the ball.

When the visitors, who were forced to travel a man short, did press forward in the first half, the schoolboy defence of Ryan Swail, Christopher Hamilton, Jordan Aidey and the impressive James Ferguson held firm.

Graham should have fired his side 2-0 ahead within three minutes of the restart but he hurried his shot, opting for pace when he could have flicked the ball either side of the ‘keeper.

Moreland then produced a smart save and Swail was forced to clear his lines before the visitors made it 1-1 from a short corner in the 50th minute.

Clifford Lennon fired Down into a 2-1 lead with a goal from play and then dad Trevor did all the donkey work to set up Graham who made it 3-1. But the league leaders came back strongly.

They scored to make it 3-2 and for the next period of play, Down struggled to get the ball out of their own penalty area. Any hope the visitors had of scoring an equaliser were dashed in the closing minutes when Aidey scored to make it 4-2.

A great result for the home side who missed a bucket of chances. Had the Down players been able to make the most of half the chances they created they would easily have won by a significantly higher margin.