Tyrone beat Clare as Monaghan draw with Louth

Corner-back Niall Devlin's 2-2 helped Tyrone earn a vital 3-15 to 0-10 win over Clare in Group 3 of the All-Ireland Football Championship while Monaghan fought back to draw 2-10 to 2-10 with Louth in Group 4.

Coalisland defender Devlin hit all but one of his side's first-half tally as the Red Hands led 2-3 to 0-5 after labouring for most of the opening period.

But Tyrone took complete control in the second half as Darragh Canavan kicked 1-4 in the final quarter.

At Clones, goals from Craig Lennon and Conor Grimes - either side of Conor McCarthy's superb Monaghan major - helped Louth lead 2-5 to 1-3 at half-time.

Louth still looked likely winners as Sam Mulroy's seventh point kept them five up with just over 10 minutes remaining.

However Louth keeper Niall McDonnell gifted Monaghan a 61st-minute goal as he lost possession which allowed Micheal Bannigan to lob to an empty net.

Frees from substitute Conor McManus and Rory Beggan put Monaghan ahead with three minutes left but Sam Mulroy's free levelled matters as McManus and Ryan O'Toole missed late chances to snatch victory for the Farney men.

Group 3 wide open ahead of final games

Group 3 is wide open heading into the final round of games in a fortnight's time when Tyrone will take on leaders Cork as Clare need a victory over Ulster champions Donegal to keep their season alive.

Sunday's 14-point win could help the Tyrone cause in the event score difference is required to separate teams.

The draw got Monaghan off the mark in Group 4 while Louth are certain to be in the knockout stages after the Clones draw and will top the table if they can beat Kerry in two weeks.

Vinny Corey's Monaghan side must avoid defeat in their closing game against Meath to be sure of progression to the final 12 of the All-Ireland championship.

With the scoreline 0-1 to 0-1 at Healy Park after points from Cillian Rouine and Ciaran Daly, the Banner County were dealt a blow on four minutes in as defender Ikem Ugwueru received a black card for a foot-trip on Mattie Donnelly.

Clare weathered that 10-minute spell as Emmet McMahon landed two scores either side of Devlin's initial score.

Twenty minutes were on the clock when Devlin landed the first big blow, firing into the bottom right corner of the net after neat set-up play from fellow defender, Aidan Clarke.

Clare responded with scores from Rouine and McMahon to level the sides for a third time.

But, Devlin was once again the thorn in the visitors' side as he jinked and jived before slotting low under Stephen Ryan for his second goal after being set up by Niall Morgan's charge upfield.

The Coalisland corner-back brought his tally to 2-2 with the final action of the half as Tyrone led 2-3 to 0-5 at the break.

Donnelly opened the second half scoring with a fine effort off his left boot before Brian Kennedy traded scores with Aaron Griffin and McMahon.

Darragh Canavan opened his account on 48 minutes and kicked two more either side of another McMahon free.

Tyrone would outscore Clare 1-6 to 0-1 in the final minutes of the game, two more from Donnelly either side of Canavan's well taken goal from Canavan who fired into the roof of the net after some fine set-up play from brother, Ruairi who got a score of his own soon late on.

Clare were reduced to fourteen 14 in the closing stages after midfielder Darragh Bohannon was shown a straight red for a late tackle on Michael O'Neill.

Louth will feel that they should have come away from Clones with a second successive Group 4 win but the draw keeps alive their chances of progressing directly to the All-Ireland quarter-finals, with a preliminary quarter-final guaranteed for them at this stage.

Two Mulroy frees gave Louth an early lead and after Joel Wilson opened Monaghan's account in the 10th minute, the Wee County's star attacker also had a chance to notch a 12th minute goal as Beggan had to make a brilliant save to push the ball out for a 45.

Mulroy duly pointed the 45 and after Kieran Duffy's Monaghan response, Louth's first 'major' did come in the 20th minute as Lennon blasted past Beggan.

McCarthy responded in kind two minutes later at the other end with a tremendous finish but Louth looked in control at half-time at 2-5 to 1-3 up following Grimes' goal seconds before the break after he had been superbly set by Ciaran Keenan.

Monaghan hit the first three scores of the second half but Louth appeared to have re-established control by the 58th minute as successive scores from Ciaran Downey and the impeccable Mulroy left them 2-9 to 1-7 ahead.

However following a McManus free, the Farney men were suddenly handed a lifeline as keeper McDonnell's errant pass following his sortie out of goal was punished by Bannigan's lobbed finish to the net.

As Louth looked rattled for the first time in the contest, frees from McManus and Beggan put Monaghan on the brink of an unlikely win but Mulroy's placed ball brought Louth level again before the home side's missed chances in injury-time, which brought up their wides tally to 12, with Ger Brennan's side having registered only three.