Down earned their first win of the season in NHL Division 2 with a 2-16 to 1-15 success over Kildare in Newbridge on Saturday.
NHL Division 2 - Kildare 1-15 Down 2-16
The side from Ulster moved level with their St Conleth's Park hosts, on two points after four games, and they were always the likeliest winners once the game took shape.
Down led 1-9 to 0-8 at half-time, with the sides matching each other for most of the half before Paul Braniff edged the Mourne men just a point clear. He then bagged the first goal of the day for a grand first-half total of 1-6, collecting a sideline cut and slotting the sliotar to the back of the Lilywhites' net.
Andy Comerford's men did hit back after the restart and even went in front briefly after a Niall O'Muineachain point and a goal from David Harney.
But Conor O'Prey went right up the other end to put the visitors back into the ascendcecny and though Tony Murphy and David Kennedy notched late efforts for Kildare they just came up short by the end.