NICKY RACKARD CUP SEMI-FINALS:POINTS BY Shane Fennell and Diarmuid Murphy in the final minutes of the second period of extra-time saw Louth gain the edge at the death in an absorbing Nicky Rackard Cup semi-final in Clones on Saturday.

Monaghan led at half-time by 1-7 to 0-8 - Michael Dolan netting in the 11th minute - but crucially, Monaghan hit nine wides in that opening half.

Murphy equalised for Louth with the last poc of the second half to leave the score to 0-13. With the sides deadlocked at the break, 1-13 to 0-16, Fennell and Murphy's scores proved crucial.

Scorers: Louth: D Murphy 0-8, S Callan 0-3, S Fennell 0-2, E McCarthy 0-2, S Conroy, A Carter and C Connolly 0-1 each; Monaghan: S Lambe 0-7, M Dolan 1-2, A Hughes 0-2, B McGuigan and P O'Connell 0-1 each.

PAUL SEVERS bagged 10 points, all from placed balls, as a slick Sligo side swept to an eight-points win over 14-man Fingal in this semi-final at Markievicz Park on Saturday.

Fingal full back Seán O'Sullivan was red carded for a heavy tackle on the half-hour mark and the Dublin side were less effective as the second half progressed.

David Byrne, John Matthew Sheridan and Emmet McCabe kept Fingal in touch but Sligo put the game out of the visitors' reach when Joe Bannerton got the game's only goal after 56 minutes. Sligo led 0-9 to 0-6 at half-time.

Scorers: Sligo: P Severs 0-10, J Bannerton 1-1, K Raymond 0-2, D Burke 0-1, L Reidy )-1, C O'Mahony 0-1. Fingal: J M Sheridan 0-3, D Byrne 0-3, E McCabe 0-2, D Harris 0-1, G de Loughney 0-1, P McAllister 0-1.