Down 3-12 Laois 1-15
Down earned promotion to Division 1 of the Allianz Football League with a 3-12 to 1-15 victory over Laois at Pairc Esler.
Two first-half goals from Conor Laverty and Paul Devlin helped them lead by 2-7 to 0-8 at half time and Arthur McConville bagged a third goal after 53 minutes.
Ross Munnelly scored a last-minute penalty for Laois, who maintained their Division 2 status despite defeat, while Evan O'Carroll nailed seven points from placed balls.
Laois made the better start, with Ross Munnelly's 11th minute point putting the visitors 0-3 to 0-1 ahead.
Down responded with an unanswered 1-2 inside three minutes, Conor Laverty with the goal after 12 minutes.
Caolan Mooney slipped a hand-pass through which took out two ball-watching defenders and Laverty dummied the goalkeeper before tapping the ball into an empty net.
The sides traded points with Evan O'Carroll's '45' matched by Conor Maginn's close range point before Laois, who won most of the first-half kickouts, hit a purple patch and scored four points in a row in a six-minute spell.
Darren Strong's excellent long-range point was followed by frees from Munnelly and O'Carroll before midfielder John O'Loughlin popped up with a score to put them back in front at 0-8 to 1-4 after 26 minutes.
Down hit seven wides in the first half and also dropped three shots short.
Conall McGovern ended an 11-minute scoring drought for the Mournemen with a long-range point in the 29th minute to level the scores.
Down cut through the heart of the Laois defence a number of times and Conor Maginn should have grabbed their second goal but his close-range shot hit the crossbar and flew over the bar.
Paul Devlin did raise a green flag in the 32nd minute, exchanging passes with Donal O'Hare and Mark Poland before palming the ball into the net.
Kevin McKernan's great run set up Conor Laverty for a fisted point to leave Down 2-7 to 0-8 ahead at the interval.
The intensity went out of the game in the second half but Laois hung in, with O'Carroll giving an exhibition of long-range free-taking.
Down sub Arthur McConville bagged his team's third goal after 53 minutes after Kevin McKernan's initial shot was parried by Laois goalkeeper Graham Brody.
The home side, perhaps feeling they had done enough to ensure victory and promotion, only scored two more points in the final quarter while Laois hit 1-3 in the same period.
They reeled off three points in a row from O'Carroll, Munnelly and a great effort from play from Robbie Kehoe, before Munnelly slotted home a penalty in the last minute of normal time after Brendan Quigley was fouled in the square.
Despite losing, Laois manager Tomas O'Flaharta was satisfied afterwards to have maintained Division Two status while Down look forward to a Division Two final against Roscommon in three weeks time.
DOWN: S Kane; G Collins (0-01), L Howard, D Turley; D O'Hagan, B McArdle, C McGovern (0-02); P Turley, P Devlin (1-02); C Maginn (0-02), K McKernan, M Poland (0-01); C Laverty (1-01), C Mooney (0-02), D O'Hare (0-01)
Subs: A McConville (1-00) for P Turley (45), N Madine for Maginn (57), R Johnston for Mooney (60), A Carr for McKernan (63), P Fitzpatrick for O'Hare (67)
LAOIS: G Brody; D O'Connor, M Timmons, S Attride; D Strong (0-01), R Kehoe (0-01), C Begley; B Quigley, J O'Loughlin (0-01); N Donoher (0-01), C Boyle, E O'Carroll (0-07); R Munnelly (1-04), B Sheehan, T Shiel
Subs: J Finn for Shiel (48), P Begley for Boyle (55), P Kingston for Sheehan (61), C Kelly for O'Carroll (70)
REFEREE: Rory Hickey (Clare)
