Despite their inability to turn possession into scores, Down were decisive winners over Waterford at Dungarvan yesterday. The visitors kicked 16 wides over the hour, nine of them in the second half when playing with a strong wind. Conditions underfoot made good football impossible as the field turned into a quagmire. The visitors, fielding only four of their All-Ireland winning side of 1994, led at half-time by 0-6 to 0-5. After Conor and Gerard Deegan pointed in the opening three minutes for Down, Waterford were back on level terms with points from Martin Power and Niall Geary by the seventh minute. When Gavin Murdock pointed a Down free two minutes later, his side regained the lead which they never relinquished and with Waterford depending on Martin Power for their scores, the Northerners were always in charge.

Waterford failed to register a single score in the second half.