Derry are into the second round of the Qualifiers after defeating Louth by 1-18 to 2-10 at Owenbeg.

The defining period in the game arrived between the 39^th and 59^th minutes when the winners reeled off seven unanswered points to move five ahead - a lead they would not relinquish.

Eliminated from the Leinster SFC by Meath just six days ago, the losers battled gallantly today but went 15 and 20 minutes without scoring in either half and were eventually overwhelmed in a low-quality contest which will be their last competitive outing until the 2017 O'Byrne Cup.

Derry, meanwhile, live to fight another day and they have James Kielt to thank for this win as the Kilrea clubman registered 1-9, including a goal from the penalty spot four minutes from the end.

Damian Barton's men created four goalscoring chances in the first half but Jim McEneaney's penalty goal had the Leinster raiders ahead by 1-5 to 0-7 at the end of a frantic opening period.

Kielt finally got the Oak Leaf County up and running with a seventh-minute point cancelling out a second-minute James Califf free. The hosts missed a number of presentable early opportunities, including a Mark Lynch shot which was stopped by visiting goalkeeper Craig Lynch after just 25 seconds.

Christopher Bradley edged dominant Derry ahead in the tenth minute but Ryan Burns replied from a free and Colin Kelly's men were awarded a penalty when  McEneaney was pushed as he tried to get onto the end of Conor Grimes pass - the Geraldines clubman brushed himself down and slotted his spot kick to the bottom corner in the 15^th minute - 1-2 to 0-2.

After a lull in the scoring and some poor fare from both teams, Mark Lynch replied and a goalbound Emmet McGuckin effort was touched over the bar by Lynch before Bradley tied the scores up with their third point inside two minutes, 0-5 to 1-2 after 25.

Bradley flashed a goal chance across the face of the Louth goal and wide and was then denied a three-pointer by Lynch before Declan Byrne lashed over the Wee County's first score in 15 minutes to restore their advantage with half time approaching. A Kielt free had the sides level again.

Califf skilfully stroked over a brace of frees and Kielt replied from distance via the fingertips of Lynch to leave the minimum between them at the short whistle.

Mark Lynch and Kielt pointed either side of Louth efforts from Grimes and Byrne upon the restart; the sides were level for the sixth time when Kielt slotted another free eleven minutes into the second half. Bradley then kicked a surprising wide when he went for a point with a goal at his mercy and got neither but the Oak Leafers moved back in front regardless courtesy of a facile Kielt free from beneath the crossbar - his third successive score, 0-11 to 1-7.

Full forward Emmet McGuckin had the hosts two ahead for the first time when he turned sharply to fire a point off his right foot and Kielt's seventh point (free) made it 0-13 to 1-7 with three-quarters of the match elapsed. The insurance point arrived when Kielt swung over yet another free from 45 metres and Bradley (free) supplied the northerners' seventh successive point twelve minutes from the end.

Louth looked like a beaten docket but Grimes picked out Byrne and the St Mochtas clubman bypassed the 'keeper and rattled the Derry net in the 60^th minute. That was the visitors' first score in 20 minutes and they were back within two!

Byrne followed up with a terrific point 60 seconds later to leave the minimum between the teams but a routine Kielt free doubled the gap after Louth full back Paddy Reilly was penalised for touching the ball on the ground.

The classy corner forward drilled a penalty to the top corner of the net four minutes from time after Danny Heavron was dragged down by Lynch and that score effectively finished the match as a contest - 1-16 to 2-8. Back came the away team with a Califf free and Kielt dragged a second Derry penalty wide of the target a minute from time before Derry sub Niall Toner popped over an injury-time strike to leave five between them.

Another replacement, Emmett Bradley, stroked over the winners' last score of the game and Louth finished the game with 14 men as Byrne was shown a red card deep into added time. McEneaney delivered the Wee County's last score of the 2016 championship six minutes into added time.

Derry - M Conlan; G McKinless, C Mullan, K McKaigue; N Forester, B Rogers, L McGoldrick; C McAtamney, N Holly; D Heavron, C Bradley (0-3), E Brown; J Kielt (1-9, 0-6f, 1-0pen), E McGuckin (0-2), M Lynch (0-2f). Subs: K Johnston for L McGoldrick, N Loughlin for E Brown, N Toner (0-1) for M Lynch, E Bradley (0-1) for N Holly, O Duffy for C Mullan, S Heavron for E McGuckin.

Louth - C Lynch; P Rath, P Reilly, J Bingham; D Maguire, D McMahon, A Williams; J Stewart, J Califf (0-4f); D Byrne (1-3), J McEneaney (1-1, 1-0pen), R Moore; E Lafferty, C Grimes (0-1), R Burns (0-1f). Subs: G McSorley for J McEneaney, A Reid for R Moore, B Duffy for J Stewart, J McEneaney for R Burns.

Referee - M Duffy.

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