Choose any superlative you want and it would aptly describe Down's demolition of Portadown seconds in the Irish Junior Cup tie.

Last year, Portadown knocked the home team out of the competition, but there was no danger of that ever happening last weekend.

Down are a more polished outfit these days and the arrival of Sinclair White and Paul Tate, in tandem with the return of Jareth McCready, has transformed the team. There is now an inner belief and strength that was never there before and the togetherness of each and every senior squad member is also an important factor in the home side's renaissance.

Down scored four goals in a pulsating first half with a gale force wind at their backs in a game which was played at Carrick Leisure Centre to comply with competition rules which state all Irish Junior Cup games must be played on synthetic pitches.

While it was 4-0 at the interval, it should have been five goals, but Gavin Ringland's short corner pile driver was not allowed to stand.

There were five more goals in the second half and had it not been for the Portadown 'keeper, Down could easily have ended up with a 15-0 victory.

They dominated throughout with Chris Taylor bagging a hat trick; Paul Tate weighed in with a brace, with the rest of the goals shared between Jareth McCready, Stephen Ferguson, Ashley Gibson and Sinclair White.

Down's players vote on the club's website for the man-of-the-match after every game, but there will be no need to count the votes after this game as there is only one winner Ñ Sinclair White.

To say he had a brilliant game would not just be an understatement, but a gross injustice on a performance which had absolutely everything. He put in a commanding display and when he wasn't attacking, he was dropping back into the middle of the park to provide defensive cover for Chris Lennon.

How fitting it was then on a day when Down were out to avenge last year's cup defeat that White opened the scoring after he surged into the penalty area to sweep the ball past the 'keeper.

Alongside Taylor and Ringland in the middle of the park, White ensured that Portadown were penned back in their own half for the opening half hour. Wingers Ferguson and Jareth McCready also had plenty of space and opportunity and Down's dominance was such that their 'keeper could have stayed in Downpatrick. He did not have a single save to make and didnÕt touch the ball in the entire 35 minutes.

But back to the action.

Jareth McCready, who has provided much-needed balance on the left wing for Down, saw his industrious performance rewarded when he made it 2-0 in the seventh minute.

Portadown, who just arrived on the pitch when the umpires blew the whistle to start the game, had no answer to the powerful running of White, Taylor and Ringland. Ferguson and Jareth McCready were also causing problems as was Tate, who alongside White was outstanding.

His clever movement and close control were just too much for Portadown and it was a delighted Tate who rifled home Down's third goal of the game 15 minutes from the interval.

Down were all over the visitors like a rash and won countless short corners. While they failed to get a shot in some occasions, Portadown's 'keeper took it upon himself to try and keep the score down with a number of top drawer blocks.

Taylor, who is perfectly at home on the synthetic surface, revelled in the freedom he was given and scored Down's fourth goal of the game five minutes before the interval. Ringland then thought he had made it 5-0, but his rasping drive was ruled out.

Skipper Jeremy McCready's half-time team talk focused on keeping things simple and not to be over elaborate. He called for his side to keep passing the ball and they responded with an awesome performance after the break.

Taylor made it 5-0 with another rasping effort before Tate got his second gal of the afternoon. Portadown were staring the down the barrel of a real hiding, but still their goalkeeper refused to throw in the towel and denied Tate, Taylor and Gibson in quick succession.

Taylor completed his hat-trick with goal number seven before Ferguson almost broke the net with a powerful shot which he rifled from the edge of the penalty area which flew past the 'keeper before he had time to move.

Gibson's clever link-up play and off-the-ball running was rewarded in the closing stages when he made it 9-0 and while the Down fans chanted "we want 10," they had to settle for nine.