Down and Fermanagh advance in Tailteann Cup

Down and Fermanagh are both through to the last eight of the Tailteann Cup thanks to victories on Saturday.

In Round Three, Down made up for their previous defeat by Offaly with an impressive 4-18 to 1-15 win away to Longford.

Two goals in each half saw Conor Laverty's men home who could possibly face an Ulster derby in the next round.

One of those teams could be Fermanagh who were tasked with the additional preliminary quarter-final due to New York entering the competition at this phase, but made light work of the visitors.

Mattie McDermott, Aogan Kelm and Darragh McGurn all hit the new for Declan Bonner's side against New York who finished with 14 men.

In Longford, there was an early exchange of scores but after Shane Annett nudged Down ahead for the second time, Finn McElroy was in for a seventh-minute goal.

The teams traded again before Longford hit back with a two-pointer by Joseph Hagan, but while it took Down to conjure a response, they did so in style as Patrick Brooks bagged their second goal.

Down would add another five points before the break - all from different sources - to Longford's three as Conor Laverty's side established a 2-8 to 0-7 half-time advantage.

It would get even better for the Mournemen upon the resumption as Ryan Magill was in for their third goal.

While Longford hit back with a couple of points through Oran Kenny, Down pushed on again with scores from Pat Havern and Miceal Rooney before they found a fourth goal through Ruairi O'Hare with goalkeeper Ronan Burns following with a two-pointer.

That put 15 between them and effectively sealed it with Dessie Reynolds' goal for Longford with 10 to play little more than consolation.

A second minute goal by Mattie McDermott helped Fermanagh off to a good start in Brewster Park and the scores kept flowing through Joe McDade and Conor Love before a two-pointer by Conor O'Hanlon opened an eight-point gap after just seven minutes.

However, New York were right back in it with Killian Butler finding the net and while a two-pointer by Garvan Jones reopened an eight-point gap for Fermanagh, the visitors hung in with a two-pointer of their own through Frank O'Reilly.

The Ernesiders would land two of the final three scores of the opening half through McDade and Ultan Kelm as they took a 1-13 to 1-6 lead into the break.

After Mattie McDermott extended the gap from a free, New York would lose Cian O'Dea to back-to-back yellow cards and that all but ended their challenge.

Fermanagh kicked on with the next three scores and although O'Reilly landed a two-point free in response, the Ernesiders would pull away with goals from Aogan Kelm and Darragh McGurn putting the issue beyond doubt.

McGurn and O'Reilly traded late two-pointers, but it is Fermanagh into the hat for the quarter-finals.