Down’s senior side recovered from a horror start against derby rivals Saintfield in atrocious weather conditions at Malone Park last Saturday afternoon.

The game could well have been called off as a result of an overnight and early morning downpour, but both teams agreed to play and it was the right decision as within five minutes of the start, the rain eased considerably.

The home side, forced to start with 10 men after sending 13 players to Campbellians with the seconds, started well and would have been ahead had it not been for another superb performance by Saints 'keeper Alastair Patterson.

The net minder has been in terrific form since the start of the season and it looks as though Patterson is set to continue his rich vein of form in 2014.

Patterson was in the thick of the action as early as the second minute when he produced a terrific save to stop Sinclair White giving Down the lead from a short corner. When the rebound from White's shot broke to Mark Elliott, the Saints ‘keeper smothered the shot, forcing the ball out for a long corner.

Alasdair Duff's probing cross two minutes later almost picked out the unmarked Elliott before Saintfield forced their short corner of the game after great work between Scott Murtagh and James Magee, with the latter causing problems for the home defence throughout the half.

Duff cleared as Conor Ferguson prepared to test Philip Brown in the Down goal before Elliott won his side a short corner at the other end when Patterson again blocked a White piledriver.

Down were on top at this stage but the home fans were stunned in the seventh minute when Matthew Watson gave the visitors the lead after some shocking defending.

Three minutes later another horror show in the home defence allowed Jamie Kirkpatrick to double Saintfield's advantage, with livewire Magee involved in the build-up. Down were shell-shocked.

Saintfield perhaps should have concentrated on soaking up Down pressure at this stage, but the home side pulled a goal back through that man White from a ferocious short corner strike in the 11th minute.

Matthew McClurg made a number of timely clearances for the visitors while Aaron Ferris missed a great opportunity to make it 2-2 in the 13th minute. Saintfield's Lawrence Murphy denied Elliott a sight on goal two minutes later and then Patterson produced the save of the day.

A cross into the Saintfield penalty area took a wicked deflection off McClurg's stick and with the ball destined for the roof of the net, Patterson somehow got a hand to the ball to steer it over the bar. Incredible.

Jordan Aidey should have levelled things in 22nd minute after being teed up Elliott but he squandered the opportunity and then Ringland went close for Down. At the other end, Brown produced a great double save to deny Kirkpatrick before the home side finally drew level in the 29th minute.

White drove the ball towards the Saintfield goal and Jeremy McCready, unmarked at the back post, steered the ball past Patterson who was left cruelly exposed. Brown then kept his side in the game denying Kirkpatrick with five minutes of the half remaining.

With the visitors keen to go into the break on level terms, Down almost took the lead for the first time in the game , but Ferris couldn't direct the ball into the net after some great play by McCready.

Murphy then denied Down's skipper a scoring chance and Patterson produced another great save to deny Ferris whose pace was now causing problems for the Saintfield defence. Seconds later, Patterson blocked another White short corner effort, but in added time at the end of the half White scored his second of the game to give his side a 3-2 lead.

In the second period, McCready should have made it 4-2 and while he managed to dink the ball past Patterson, it also rolled agonisingly past the wrong side of the post. Moments later, McCready was about to pull the trigger before the alert Sammy Davidson nipped in to take the ball off his stick.

Down scored their fourth goal in the 44th minute when Elliott used all his experience to wrong-foot Patterson and deflect the ball into the net after great play by White.

Any hope the home side thought that it would be a doddle until the final whistle was temporarily halted within a minute of scoring their fourth goal. Kirkpatrick scored his second of the day after more poor defending in the 48th minute which led to a short corner, with the Saintfield striker giving Brown no chance to make it 4-3.

Eleven minutes later Down made it 5-3 with Elliott grabbing his second of the day. Patterson produced another great block to deny McCready at a short corner, but the ball rebounded kindly for the Down striker to hammer it into the net.

Saintfield's young players, aided by the experienced Patterson, Aaron Kearney, Davidson and Murphy, refused to thrown in the towel and, to their credit, kept battling away.

Craig Harkness saw a shot blocked by Brown in the 58th minute and seconds later at the other end Murphy had to be alert to prevent Elliott ghosting in on goal. White was again frustrated a minute later when another opportunity to grab a hat-trick was denied by Patterson who, not for the first time, produced a great save.

With just under five minutes to go and the rain falling quite heavily again, White finally complete his hat-trick with a thunderous shot which Patterson, for all his athleticism, couldn't get anywhere near.

Players on both side were keen to hear the final whistle at this stage and in added time Down scored their seventh goal when Elliott completed his hat-trick after he was brilliantly teed up by White whose initial shot had been saved by you know who.

Down were grateful for the win after that atrocious start, while Saintfield's young players again impressed. They have guts and determination in abundance, and are a highly skilled and committed bunch. If The Demesne club can hang on to them, the future is bright.