Tyrone escaped with a draw after being pushed all the way by a gallant Louth effort in the first round of the qualifiers this afternoon but the manner of the performance will have done little to boost the fragile confidence of the All-Ireland champions.
The loss of footballer of the year Stephen O'Neill with a recurrence of the hamstring problem suffered earlier in the season is another cause for serious concern for Mickey Harte ahead of the replay next weekend as Tyrone's title defence lurches from one crisis to another.
Only an Eoin Mulligan free at the end of extra-time kept Tyrone's title hopes alive after Louth, having forced the extra period with a last-gasp goal at the end of normal time, threatened to pull off the mother of all upsets. The match finished 2-16 apiece.
Following their toothless exit from the Ulster championship at the hands of Derry, Tyrone had looked unsure in the early stages at Páirc Tailteann in Navan, conceding possession to their unheralded opponents who matched them point for point throughout much of the first-half.
But Mulligan put daylight between the teams on the stroke of half-time, finding the net twice within the space of a minute to open an seemingly unassailable 2-7 to 0-5 lead.
The full-forward first profited from some shocking marking, rounding goalkeeper Stuart Reynolds after being left all on his own by a ball-watching Louth defence. Less than 60 seconds later Mulligan grabbed another, slightly fortuitous, goal, pouncing on the rebound after O'Neill's shot struck the post.
In recent seasons Mickey Harte's side would have pressed home their advantage in the second-half but were unable to shake Louth off on this occasion. Points from Mark Stanfield, Darren Clarke (2) and Ray Finnegan brought them back into the contest before a Stanfield goal brought the Wee County within two of Tyrone's lead.
Further points were exchanged but Louth appeared on their way out of the championship as time ebbed away only for JP Rooney to pop up with a dramatic goal in injury-time to force extra-time.
Louth, buoyed by Rooney's goal, dominated the first period and opened a two-point lead at the interval. But with the pressure on, Mulligan was given two opportunities from frees and, coolness personified, forced a replay for the champions.
Earlier, Longford booked their place in the second round with a 1-15 to 1-9 win over Waterford while Monaghan ended Wicklow's season with a 2-19 to 3-6 win in Clones. Clare beat Antrim by a point on a 1-13 to 2-9 scoreline.
In the evening throw-in, Sligo proved too strong for Down at Markievicz Park, with the Connacht men running out comfortable 1-7 to 0-4 winners.
In the hurling qualifiers, Offaly were narrow winners over Dublin at Parnell Park, edging through by a single goal on a 1-17 to 0-17 scoreline.
Galway, meanwhile, annihilated Laois in Portlaoise 7-28 to 2-13.
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