CAVAN AND ARMAGH booked their place in the next round of the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers following wins over Down and Sligo respectively on Saturday.
Cavan had just two points to spare at the end of their clash with Down, while Armagh had a slightly more comfortable run to victory with an impressive second-half display against Sligo.
Meanwhile, Leitrim powered past Louth with a 10-point victory in Carrick-on-Shannon.
Cavan 1-14 Down 0-15
A Gearoid McKiernan goal proved to the decisive score as Cavan rallied from four points down to defeat Down at Brewster Park.
Mattie McGleenan’s side enjoyed a strong start to the tie and opened up a four-point lead after 12 minutes a point from McKiernan.
But that early dominance was short lived as Down responded with points from Connaire Harrison and Ronan Millar to reduce the deficit to two before Millar hit the equaliser.
Down suffered a huge blow shortly after when they lost Harrison and Kevin McKernan to black cards, but their immediate response was encouraging as Peter Turley nudged them into a one-point lead.
The sides exchanged points until the half-time whistle, with Down holding a two-point lead.
Eamonn Burns’s charges were four points clear by the 50th minute and were poised to go on and secure victory, but Cavan produced an emphatic response through a goal from the boot of McKiernan which left them just one point adrift.
Niall Murray levelled proceedings just before the hour-mark before Ciaran Brady put Cavan in front.
It was a tight affair right up until the final whistle but it was Cavan who prevailed with McKiernan hitting the final score to give his side a two-point win.
Sligo 1-13 Armagh 1-19
Armagh came through their assignment against Sligo with six points to spare in the end.
They were two points behind in the early stages of the first half and seemed to be chasing the game but a Rory Grugan goal in the 39th minute sparked them into life.
Grugan pounced on a short kick-out from Sligo keeper Aidan Devaney and sent the ball into the back of the net.
Kieran McGeaney’s side went on to take a lead that would not relinquish before the end and despite a late goal from Cian Breheny Sligo couldn’t find a response as they bow out of the All-Ireland football championship.
Leitrim 0-25 Louth 1-12
Well done @LeitrimGAA on a great performance to get the win again Louth this evening from all in @KiltubridGAA pic.twitter.com/htQwaD1H8K
— Kiltubrid GAA (@KiltubridGAA) June 23, 2018
Leitrim came through their qualifier fixture against Louth with an impressive 10-point win in front of a home crowd at Carrick-on-Shannon.
The visitors got off to a dream start when they posted 1-1 in the opening four minutes through William Woods and Ciarán Downey.
Louth were five points clear by the 11th minute, while Leitrim full-back Alan Armstrong was dismissed with a black card.
The sides traded points for the rest of the half before Emlyn Mulligan scored a long-range point to leave Leitrim just two points behind at half-time.
Meanwhile, Louth were reduced to 14 players when James Craven was sent off with a straight red card.
The hosts stormed out of the blocks after the restart Donal Wrynn, Ryan O’Rourke and Mulligan all finding their range to push their side into a 0-12 1-7 lead.
Louth were forced to wait until the 50th minute to score their first point of the second half through an effort from Woods.
Woods went on to score two more points for Louth, but the Leinster side failed to score again before the full-time whistle as Leitrim cruised to victory.
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