Mourne men ready to take to the throne

BENNY COULTER has battled in vain to claim an Ulster senior football medal for a decade so it comes as something of a surprise with the revelation that he is happy to have lost to Tyrone this summer.

Down were in a good place going into that game having impressed in seeing off Donegal in Ballybofey and they were in an even better place after the first 20 minutes of the provincial semi-final in Belfast.

Eight points to four up at that point, and playing into a stiff Cement Park wind, Down were tearing through Tyrone’s defence at will and Stephen O’Neill had already limped off with a heel injury.