Watch: Mulroy's late free sinks Cork and sends Louth into first All-Ireland SFC quarter-final

June 23, 2024

Louth's Sam Mulroy celebrates scoring a free to put his side into the lead in the last minute against Cork ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Sam Mulroy’s injury-time free proved the difference as Louth edged Cork by 1-9 to 1-8 in Inniskeen to move into the All-Ireland senior football championship quarter-finals for the first time.

Daniel O’Mahony’s flicked goal late in the first-half was what stood between the teams at the interval, as Cork carried in a 1-5 to 0-5 lead, but Louth landed the first three points of the second-half via Mulroy, Paul Matthews and Craig Lennon to square matters.

Brian Hurley moved the Rebels back in front before Donal McKenny fired to their net to give Ger Brennan’s men a 1-8 to 1-6 lead with 15 minutes left in normal time.

Chris Og Jones landed back-to-back points for the Leesiders in response and it looked headed for extra time at Grattan Park before Mulroy’s late intervention for the Wee County.

The results sees this year’s race for Sam Maguire Cup now down to the last eight teams, with tomorrow morning’s quarter-final draw subject to avoidance of repeat provincial final pairings and also repeat pairings from the group stages where possible. It means that Louth cannot draw either holders Dublin or Kerry while Derry or Galway can’t meet Armagh and Roscommon can’t play Dublin. 


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