Longford are into the third round of the Qualifiers after pipping Clare by 2-12 to 1-12 in Ennis.

The sides were level when the visitors were reduced to 14 men in the 59th minute due to the sending off of Diarmuid Masterson but Jack Sheedy's resolute men hit the last three scores to march on.

Sean Collins' injury-time strike ensured the Munster representatives of the narrowest of half-time leads, 1-7 to 1-6.

Brian Kavanagh's sixth-minute penalty was the difference between the sides after ten minutes, 1-2 to 0-2. Liam Connerton and Kavanagh (free) notched the early points for the midlanders, with Gary Brennan (free) and David Tubridy on target for the Banner.

Michael Quinn and Eoin Cleary (free) traded points before the end of the first quarter. After further points were swapped, another Tubridy free reduced the arrears to two points with 23 minutes played. Nine minutes from the break, the lead changed hands when Dean Ryan pounced for a Clare goal - 1-5 to 1-4.

Pat Burke and Connerton swapped scores and Dessie Reynolds hit the Longford leveller on the stroke of half time only for Collins to land the last score of an entertaining first half deep into stoppage time.

Five minutes into the second half, Jack Sheedy's charges roared back ahead when Reynolds fired their second goal after Rory Connor had tied the scores up: 2-7 to 1-7. The influential Tubridy closed the gap to one with a brace and Connor left two between them with 20 minutes left.

The sides were level again with eleven minutes left (1-12 to 2-9) and the visitors received a potentially-fatal blow when they were reduced to 14 men with Masterson dismissed. But a 51st-minute Kavanagh free edged the 14 men back ahead and the same player added another free on 65 minutes as the beaten Leinster quarter-finalists zoned in on the next round.

Longford - P Collum; C Farrelly, B O'Farrell, F Battrim; C P Smyth, B Gilleran, D Masterson (0-1); K Diffley, M Quinn (0-1); P Gill, R McEntire, R Connor (0-2); L Connerton (0-2), B Kavanagh (1-5, 1-0pen, 0-4f), D Reynolds (1-1). Subs: S Doyle for P Gill, R McNerney for R McEntire, P Foy for R Connor.

Clare - J Hayes; C Russell, K Harnett, M McMahon; S Hickey, G Kelly, D Ryan (1-1); G Brennan (0-2, 1f), C O'Connor; Sean Collins (0-1), J Malone, K Sexton; E Cleary (0-2, 1f), D Tubridy (0-5, 3f), P Burke (0-1). Subs: S McGrath for C O'Connor, E Coughlan for E Cleary, Stephen Collins for G Kelly.

Referee - A Nolan.

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