Wins for Limerick and Louth
Carlow 0-7 Limerick 2-15
Carlow's All-Ireland SFC jaunt came to an abrupt halt in front of their home supporters this evening as two-goal hero Michael Reidy steered Limerick into the third round of the qualifiers.
Reidy, starting at full-forward as an indirect replacement for the injured Jason Stokes, bagged a goal in either half to see the Shannonsiders claim a deserved 14-point victory at Dr Cullen Park.
Carlow, bowing out at the second round qualifier stage for the second time in three years, trailed 0-5 to 1-8 at the end of the very competitive first half.
Reidy nipped in to fire his first goal in cheeky fashion - just as Carlow defenders argued with Down referee Colm Broderick over the awarding of a free to the visitors.
Reidy's second came late in the second half - another low drive - and effectively wrapped up Liam Kearns' side's win.
Limerick skipper Muiris Gavin put in an impressive display, notching six points, while dual star Conor Fitzgerald bagged four.
Carlow relied largely on free-taker Simon Rea for their scores, but Mark Carpenter, Mark Brennan and Roy Walker also contributed for the vanquished Barrowsiders up front.
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Louth 0-11 Roscommon 0-10
Little Louth have dumped odds-on favourites Roscommon out of the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers, thanks to an injury-time free from JP Rooney in Drogheda.
As if losing Frankie Dolan and Conor Beirne from their squad last week for disciplinary reasons wasn't galling enough for Roscommon's footballers, tonight witnessed their qualifier axeing at the hands of the Wee men.
Roscommon goalkeeper Shane Curran, a former triallist with Manchester United, showed Glazer-like guile when racing forward to win a last minute free for the Connacht men.
Trailing 0-10 to 0-11, the 34-year-old Curran steadied himself to take the 50-metre placed ball and send a tightly-fought contest into extra-time.
Relieving himself of his jersey, a white T-shirted Curran thumped the free goalward but his effort tailed left and wide - producing the final whistle and lusty Louth cheers.
Played out in difficult conditions, Val Andrews' Louth side held a 0-6 to 0-4 advantage at the break, largely due to Darren Clarke's three-point haul and Roscommon's wide tally of eight.
Ger Heneghan was finding favour in front of goal for the Connacht men, who agonised as late call-up Jonathan Dunning's 18th-minute goal chance came back off an upright with the score at 0-4 apiece.
Clarke then notched his fourth point on the restart but Roscommon, who last clashed with Louth in their All-Ireland winning year of 1943, then strung five points together to push 0-9 to 0-7 ahead.
Karol Mannion then exchanged points with the home side's Christy Grimes, and Louth's chances of their first third round qualifier appearance since 2001 looked quashed as Simon Gerard and Paddy Matthews missed obvious goal chances.
Matthew did point to reduce the arrears to 0-9 to 0-10 with little over four minutes remaining. Louth summoned the strength for a final cut and by the second minute of injury-time, Andrews' charges were suddenly a point to the good.
Grimes first levelled things with a free, then Rooney fisted over from a Shane Lennon set-up. Seconds later, Curran charged up to win a midfield free against Rooney, but Louth doggedly held on.
