Mulroy masterclass leads Louth to victory over Wexford

Captain Sam Mulroy fired 2-04 as Louth turned on the afterburners in the final quarter in Portlaoise, easing beyond Wexford to secure a Leinster SFC semi-final clash with Kildare.

Just three points separated the teams approaching the hour mark after an entertaining contest but two Mulroy goals in the closing quarter, both from penalty kicks, propelled Ger Brennan's side to victory.

The seven-point winning margin flattered them slightly though National League status ultimately told as Louth, who operated two divisions higher than Wexford, brought their big game experience to bear.

Ciaran Downey scored Louth's other two goals while Ciaran Keenan won both penalties and there were important scores too from Liam Jackson and Ryan Burns as Louth turned the screw late on.

Last season's Leinster finalists will return to Croke Park in a fortnight to face the Lilywhites though Wexford will return to the Tailteann Cup next month.

John Hegarty's side, who gave themselves a fighting chance with a strong midfield display, will rue the goal concessions and the sloppy fouls for the penalties in particular.

Wexford were chasing a first quarter-final win since beating Longford a decade ago and they led for the majority of the first-half after a bright opening.

Ben Brosnan was a late addition to their published lineup, making his 177th appearance for the county, though it was his colleague in the inside forward line Graeme Cullen that impressed initially.

Cullen fired three points as Wexford opened up a 0-08 to 0-04 lead after 27 minutes, defying the wind and outbreaks of rain with some impressive bursts up the pitch.

One of those came in the 14th minute and resulted in a Cullen point though Louth fans were aghast as they argued that Ryan Burns had