Louth kill off Antrim in extra-time thriller

Louth 2-13 Antrim 0-14

Louth came from behind with just 14 men to draw level, force a Drogheda thriller into extra-time, and then kill off Antrim's challenge with real style.

Substitute JP Rooney was the hero, with the goal which set the Leinster side on their way to victory midway through the first period of added time.

And they hung on in the face of a ferocious Antrim rally for a sweet victory and a place in the second round of the Qualifiers.

The opening 20 minutes belonged to the Wee County, their inside forward line of Aaron Hoey, Mark Stanfield and Ollie McDonnell reeling off five points to open up a 0-5 to 0-1 lead.

But with Joe Quinn beginning to make things happen for Antrim in midfield, they gradually worked their way back into the contest.

Gearóid Adams kick-started their challenge with a point, and further scores followed from Kevin McGourty, Kevin Madden and Kevin Brady.

It looked as of the sides would go in at the break level, but Mark Stanfield slotted home an injury-time penalty, awarded for a foot block on McDonnell by Saffron goalkeeper Sean McGreevy.

That score gave Louth a 1-5 to 0-5 interval advantage, but Madden had the sides level within 10 minutes of the restart.

And just after the excellent McGourty had given the Ulster men the lead for the first time, Louth were reduced to 14 men when substitute Alan Page picked up a second yellow card, with more than a quarter of an hour still to play.

It took Louth 23 minutes to get their first score of the half, through Hoey, but sub JP Rooney's first touch had them level again.

It was 1-9 to 0-12 at the end of normal time, but Louth struck a crucial blow midway through the first period of extra-time when Rooney rounded McGreevy to slide home his side's second goal, and a 2-10 to 0-14 lead.

And Val Andrews watched with delight as his side finished the job off with points from midfielders David Devaney and Paddy Keenan.

Louth: S McCoy, J Clerkin, P Mallon, J Carr, D Shevlin (0-1), S Gerard, R Rooney, D Devaney (0-1), P Keenan (0-2), R Kelly, D Reid, N McDonnell (0-1), A Hoey (0-3, 1f), M Stanfield (1-2, pen), O McDonnell (0-1). Subs: A Page for Kelly (h-t), D Clarke (0-1, f) for Reid (h-t), JP Rooney (1-1) for N McDonnell (59 mins), N McDonnell (for extra-time), P Matthews for Hoey (89 mins).

Antrim: S McGreevy, N ward, C Brady, T Convery, G Adams (0-1), S Kelly (0-1), A Finnegan, M McCrory, J Quinn, M McCarry, K McGourty (0-3), J Marron, K Brady (0-1), D O'Hare, K Madden (0-7, 5f). Subs: K Niblock for Quinn (45 mins), J McKeever for Convery (63 mins), A McClean (0-1) for Marron (69 mins), M Dougan for O'Hare (81 mins), K Murray for Kelly (88 mins)

Referee: P McGovern (Galway).