Tyrone survive shock-exit close call

Tyrone 2-16 Louth 2-16 (AET)

All-Ireland champions Tyrone came with a whisker of a sensational exit from the race for Sam, when a late Owen Mulligan equaliser earned them another chance to crack a huge challenge from the Wee County.

JP Rooney had sent an epic tie to extra-time with a stoppage-time goal, and it looked as if Eamon McEneaney's men were about to pull off the shock of the decade, before Mulligan emerged as the Red Hand saviour with a converted free.

It was all very nervy for the Sam Maguire Cup holders for most of the first half.

They found it difficult to contain an eager and supremely confident Louth side which defended in numbers and broke at pace.

It was point for point throughout the opening quarter, with Louth hitting all theirs from play, through Darren Clarke, Paddy Keenan, Mark Stanfield and corner back Jamie Carr, with Stephen O'Neill the only Tyrone player to score from open play.

They were still level at 0-5 each as the half entered its final 10 minutes, when suddenly Mulligan caught fire.

He had barely touched the ball for half an hour, but in the space of 10 minutes, rattled in 2-2 to leave the Wee County dream in shreds.

The first came from Ryan Mellon's pinpoint pass, the second bore the mark or a predator, flashed to the net from a yard out, after O'Neill's half-blocked effort had bobbled off a post.

The Red Hands led by 2-7 to 0-6 at the break, but Louth made an inspired start to the second half.

Having trailed by eight at one stage, they narrowed the deficit down to two, after Mark Stanfield had crashed home a goal from JP Rooney's neat lay-off.

But Tyrone regrouped and headed into the last 10 minutes with a four-point lead.

Then came another Louth barrage, with Carr and John Neary pressing forward from the back.

Clarke's seventh point brought the gap to three points, and in the second minute of stoppage time, Mark Stanfield's tireless efforts were rewarded when he flicked to the net to bring his heroic side level at 2-13 each.

And the Leinster men were two ahead as the sides changed sides midway through extra-time, thanks to a couple of gems from substitute Brian White.

Tyrone bossed the final period, but with O'Neill and Cavlan both off injured, their finishing power had been drastically reduced, but they did send the game to a rematch when Mulligan stepped up to bring his tally to 2-6.

Tyrone: P. McConnell, R. McMenamin, C. McGinley, M. McGee, D. Harte, C. Gormley, P. Jordan (0-1), C, Holmes, P Donnelly, S. Cavanagh, G. Cavlan (0-1, 1 free), R. Mellon, M. Penrose, S. O'Neill (0-4, 1 free, 1 '45'), O. Mulligan (2-6 (3 frees).

Subs: E McGinley (0-2) for Donnelly, R Mulgrew (0-2) for Cavlan, D Carlin for Harte, B Meenan for Holmes, A Ball for O'Neill, B Donnelly for Mellon, C Gourley for McGee

Louth: S Reynolds, D Brennan, C Goss, J Carr (0-1), J O'Brien, P McGinnity, J Neary, M Farrelly (0-1), P Keenan (0-1), C Grimes, M Brennan (0-1), M Stanfield (1-2), JP Rooney (1-0), R Carroll, D Clarke (0-7, 4 frees).

Subs: R Finnegan (0-1) for Carroll, B White (0-2) for Grimes, Grimes for Rooney, T O'Brien for Clarke, M Fanning for O'Brien

Referee: F Flynn (Leitrim)