All-Ireland SFC
Group 3: Tyrone 3-15 Clare 0-10
Group 4: Monaghan 2-10 Louth 2-10
*****
MONAGHAN AND LOUTH played out a thrilling draw, while Tyrone beat Clare by 14 points in their All-Ireland senior football clashes this afternoon.
It finished 2-10 a-piece in Clones, with Monaghan goalkeeper Rory Beggan and Louth captain Sam Mulroy exchanging late free-kicks.
Louth, who opened their Group 4 campaign with a win over Meath, were 2-5 to 1-3 ahead at half time. Craig Lennon and Conor Grimes scored the Wee county’s goals, the latter arriving just before the break to underline their advantage.
Conor McCarthy had scored Monaghan’s first-half goal, and Michael Bannigan bagged their second to bring them within a point – 2-9 to 2-8 – in the 60th minute.
Mulroy top-scored with 0-7 (6f, 1 ’45) while the Farney county had a spread of scorers in front of 11,329 fans at St Tiernach’s Park.
Monaghan, who were comprehensively defeated by Kerry in their opener, now face Meath, while Ger Brennan’s Louth are guaranteed a preliminary quarter-final as they go up against the Kingdom.
Elsewhere, Niall Devlin and Darragh Canavan combined for 3-6 to help Tyrone overcome Clare on a scoreline of 3-15 to 0-11 at Healy Park.
The Red Hand, previously beaten by Donegal in Group 3, led 2-3 to 0-5 at half time.
Devlin’s superb 2-2 tally arrived in the opening period of this first championship meeting between the sides.
Brian Dooher’s men upped the ante in the second half. Darragh Canavan finished with 1-4, his goal coming late on, and fly-goalkeeper Niall Morgan also starred as Tyrone picked up their first win in the group.
Cork beat Donegal yesterday to blow it wide open.
Clare suffered their second defeat, having lost to the Rebels on opening weekend, but Emmet McMahon (0-4, 3f) and Cillian Rouine (0-2) were among the Banners’ bright sparks in Omagh.
