Down suffered their heaviest defeat in Senior Two in recent seasons losing 10-2 away to the PSNI last weekend.

The visitors were missing virtually two thirds of their normal team with Jeremy McCready, Alasdair Duff, James Ferguson, Paul Tate, Paul Neill, Chris Taylor, Richard Owens and Jordan Wade all unavailable for one reason or another.

A number of the club's young players were drafted in for the game against a side which is looking to grab second sport in Senior Two to secure a play-off against the team which finishes second from bottom in Senior One. The winner of this tie secures a place in Senior One nest season.

The PSNI were in red-hot form and credit to the young Down players who battled throughout and gave a good account of themselves in a game that was always going to be an uphill battle.

The home side led 3-0 interval although it should have been 3-1 as Down's Mark Elliott uncharacteristically missed a sitter after good work by Mark Graham and Jordan Aidey.

When the ball was whipped into the penalty area, all Elliott had to do was sweep it into the net, but he missed.

Down did their best to remain positive at the interval, despite recognising they would be up against it in the second half, given that so many of their experienced players were missing.

Elliott gave the visitors a glimmer of hope within minutes of the restart when he scored to make it 3-1, but the home side moved up a gear and soon led 5-1.

The young Down players were beginning to fade but that man Elliott led by example and popped up with a second goal after yet more excellent work from Graham and Aidey.

The PSNI then moved into another gear scoring another five goals to seal and emphatic win over a badly depleted Down side.

The locals have now two games left to complete their season at home to Ballymena and Cliftonville respectively. Both will be extremely competitive encounters and Down will be hoping all their big-name players will be available for both.