Louth hold firm against Clare to make it into the hat for All-Ireland SFC knockouts
Reviving their season and shaking off the Leinster hangover wasn't easy but a realignment win over the Banner will do the provincial champions the world of good ahead of next weekend.
Despite the unenamoured finale to the Group 3 do-or-die affair, an away day was all both sides could play for and Louth gladly punched their ticket.
Clare were in search of the first win in the All-Ireland series at their tenth attempt and it looked to change at various stages but they lacked the sustained quality to get over the line.
When late replacement Emmet McMahon, Eoin Cleary and Mark McInerney hit three points in rapid fashion.
Louth were flat and that purple patch came from a short Sam Mulroy effort. Dogged underdogs caught the perfect start that instilled belief. Curiously they were blown on numerous occasions for steps.
The infringements however didn't hamper the Banner as they blitzed the beginning of the contest. Louth were over carrying themselves but not clinical - that was the early difference.
Conor Grimes redeemed his team and himself with Louth's first, 12 minutes in, but the tone was set.
Outnumbered Clare supporters were making their voices heard but Dara McDonnell and Tommy Durnin silenced them. Twin towers in the Leinster champions engine room ruled the skies as Ciaran Downey and Craig Lennon levelled.
With the aerial prowess, Sam Mulroy gave Ger Brennan's side the lead with a free. Manus Doherty would be black-carded in the process and Louth smelt blood. Downey added another and Mulroy plundered home a goal.
All-Star Craig Lennon very nearly had another goal of the season contender afterwards, but a slalomed run and trickled shot was saved off the line to save Peter Keane's side's blushes briefly.
Switched to the forty, Downey was a revelation, he recaptured his form at the tail end of the Down game and brought it on even further in Laois.
Louth's next score was a sublime run and finish from the Newtown Blues forward and that looked to be it.
With the lead and renewed confidence Louth were able to control the game and led 2-08 to 0-06 going in at half time.
Again, another effort at the Clare goal was thwarted and sprung the Munster men into action at the start of the half. Rory McMahon left his defensive duties and found himself in front of goals. The defender swung around and powered past Niall McDonnell who got a strong hand to the powerful shot.
In truth, the goal was the shot Peter Keane's side needed, and the games.
The early major gave the Banner belief and allowed them to stay in the game. Louth could not shake the Munster finalists off until the last kick.
Leading by eight midway through the second period didn't deter Clare once they broke through Louth's rearguard. Mark McInerney chipped away at the deficit while Louth punched back with five points from talisman Sam Mulroy, four of those points, beyond the arc.
Managing the contest was tough for Louth to get motivated and McDonnell controlled the airways but they needed impact from the bench. Conor Branigan and debutant Ryan Walsh provided it.
Also, with a draw sufficient to get through at the back of Louth's minds, it allowed Clare to go for broke and the winners to stagnate. Eoin Cleary cut the gap in half single-handedly from eight to four with a goal and point and cue the frantic end.
With Clare in the ascendancy, Louth lost goalkeeper McDonnell to injury and in came All-Ireland under 20 net-minder Tiernan Markey for his debut. Substitute Conor Branigan's second point would be crucial.
A three-point gap, Clare pushed with two-pointers and Louth defended themselves into another week of championship football.
Clare: Stephen Ryan (0-01, 0-01f): Manus Doherty, Ronan Lanigan, Rory McMahon (1-00); Cillian Rouine, Alan Sweeney, Ikem Ugwueru; Brian McNamara (0-01), Daniel Walsh; Dermot Coughlan Jnr, Emmet McMahon (0-02), Conor Meaney; Aaron Griffin (0-01), Eoin Cleary (1-02), Mark McInerney (0-06, 0-03f).
Subs: Shane Griffin for Meaney (24), Brendan Rouine for Walsh (50), Jamie Stack for Sweeney (59), Keelan Sexton (0-01) for Cleary (64) Ciaran Downes for McMahon (67).
Louth: Niall McDonnell; Donal McKenny, Emmet Carolan, Dan Corcoran; Conall McKeever, Peter Lynch, Daire Nally; Dara McDonnell, Tommy Durnin; Conor Grimes (0-01), Ciaran Downey (1-05, 1tp), Craig Lennon (0-01), Ciaran Keenan, Sam Mulroy (1-06, 0-02f, 1 tpf, 1tp), Ryan Burns (0-01).
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