Down 3-15 Louth 1-12 Down kept their promotion challenge on track with a nine-point win. Having had Paddy Coulter dismissed three minutes into the second half, the Ulstermen had to withstand a spirited display from the home side at the Gaelic Grounds, Drogheda.
The Down midfielder was sent off in bizarre circumstances. His team were awarded a penalty following a foul on Ronan Sexton, but after referee Marty Duffy consulted with his umpires following some jostling in the goalmouth he red carded Coulter and booked Ray Rooney of Louth.
To copperfasten Down's loss, play resumed with a throw in.
Down, having played with the strong wind in the opening half, led 1-12 to 1-5 at the break, with their goal coming via a fumble from Louth goalkeeper Shane McCoy who let Liam Doyle's 27th-minute delivery slip through his hands.
Louth responded with a goal from Cormac Malone on 29 minutes as they finished the half seven points behind.
DOWN: B McVeigh; M Higgins, A Molloy, A Scullion; J Lavery, Sean Ward, S Farrell; B Coulter (0-3), G McCartan (0-3); L Doyle (1-3, 2 frees), Shane Ward (0-3), J Clarke; R Sexton, D Gordan (1-0), D Hughes (0-3). Subs: A Shields for D Lavery (13), G McCrickard (1-0) for J Clarke (35), A O'Prey for G McCrickard (70).
LOUTH: S McCoy; D Shevlin, J Clerkin, J Carr; P McGinnity, A Page, R Rooney; P McGuigan (0-1), J Kermath; C McGuinness (0-1), D Clarke (0-6, 5 frees), R Finnegan; D Devaney, O McDonnell (0-1), C Malone (1-1). Subs: JJ Quigley for J Kermath (24), C Grimes (0-1 free) for C McGuinness (50), P Keenan (0-1) for J Clerkin (54), D Bracken for R Finnegan (62), S O'Neill for D Devaney (69).
Referee: M Duffy (Sligo).
