Louth edge it as Sam Mulroy and Seán Quigley show their class

The impressive Ciarán Byrne came off the bench to kick two important scores

Mickey Harte’s Louth team now have promotion in their own hands. Photograph: Brian Reilly-Troy/Inpho
Mickey Harte’s Louth team now have promotion in their own hands. Photograph: Brian Reilly-Troy/Inpho

Fermanagh 0-14 Louth 2-12

A blistering opening quarter display sent Louth home from Enniskillen with all the points against their fellow form side in Division three, Fermanagh.

Tommy Durnin right from the throw-in, and then Sam Mulroy later in the opening half bagged the goals for Mickey's Harte's side, and the hosts were chasing from that point onwards.

A shell-shocked Fermanagh were stirred back into action by Darragh McGurn and Garvan Jones. The duo responded with a brace apiece but, with both sides scoring in bursts, Louth’s cushion allowed them to control the contest throughout.

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Talisman Mulroy - along with defenders Niall Sharkey and Bevan Duffy - gave Louth a four point halftime advantage, they led 2-5 to 0-7 at the change of ends.

The second half looked like it was going to be a close affair when the unusually quiet Seán Quigley came to life. The Roslea man kicked the first two points of the second half and would finish with six in the second period overall.

However, Quigley’s heroics were well matched at the other end by Mulroy and impact substitute Ciarán Byrne, who came off the bench again to land two crucial points down the stretch. Louth now have promotion in their own hands.

Fermanagh: C Newman; G Cavanagh, J Cassidy, L Flanagan; J McMahon, A Breen (0-1), J McCann; B Horan, R Jones; D Leonard, G Jones (0-3, 0-1 free), J Largo Ellis; D McGurn (0-2); C Corrigan, S Quigley (0-8, 0-4 frees, 0-1 45m, 0-1 mark). Subs: C Jones for Breen (50 mins), K Connor for McCann (54 mins), S McGullion for Corrigan (67 mins).

Louth: J Califf; D McKenny, D Corcoran, B Duffy (0-1); J Clutterbuck, N Sharkey (0-1), L Grey; C Early, T Durnin (1-0); J Clutterbuck; C Lennon, S Mulroy (1-6, 0-5 frees, 0-1 45m), C McKeever; L Jackson (0-1), C Downey, R Burns. Subs: D McConnon (0-1) for Early (7 mins), C Byrne (0-2) for Grey (50 mins), G Malone for McKenny (65 mins), S Healy for Clutterbuck (70 mins).

Referee: M McNally (Monaghan).