The senior footballers of Longford and Leitrim made their exits from the 2010 All Ireland Senior Football Championship last night when they lost their second round qualifiers to Down and Kildare respectively.

Longford who knocked out Mayo in the previous round lost by four points to Down in Pairc Esler in Newry, while Leitrim were well beaten by Kildare in Newbridge.

In Newry, Longford got off to a disappointing start and they trailed by nine points to three at the interval. Longford looked doomed when midway through the second half, Martin Clarke, converted a penalty to put the home side ahead by 1-11 to 0-08.

However, Longford came storming back with McGee raising the green flag with a superb goal and a point to reduce the arrears to just four points, but Down kept their composure to run out winners by 1-14 to 1-10.

Leitrim were comprehensively put to the sword in the second half of their encounter against Kildare in Newbridge. Micky Moran's charges trailed by six points to three at the interval, but a James Kavanagh goal was the final nail in Leitrim's coffin as the Lillywhites went on to win by 1-12 to 0-06.