Fermanagh opened up their NFL Division Three campaign with a resounding nine point win over a disappointing Louth side at Brewster Park tonight.

Pete McGrath's side led by four at half time but at the midway stage of the second half only three points divided the teams. However, the home outfit dominated the remainder of the game as they landed six unanswered points to record the victory.

Fermanagh were quickly out of the blocks with Sean Quigley landing two frees inside the opening three minutes but Louth were to enjoy a good spell after this with midfielder Eoin O'Connor and Ryan Burns knocking over points from play to level up proceedings.

Quigley was showing great accuracy from deadballs and he clipped over a close in free after a surging run from Ryan McCluskey resulted in a foul on Paul McCusker while Quigley notched his fourth with a 45 metre free to make it 0-04 to 0-02.

Louth suffered a blow when O'Connor picked up a black card after blocking off Barry Mulrone and when Ruairi Corrigan tagged on a fifth Fermanagh point, it put Pete McGrath's side three points to the good.

Two excellent points from Declan Byrne brought the Wee County back to within one but Fermanagh then hit a purple patch as four points in as many minutes from Ryan Jones, Mulrone and Quigley (2) put five between the sides.

Louth had the last say of the half with another well struck Byrne effort but at the break Fermanagh led by four, 0-09 to 0-05.

The second half was slow to get going with the sides trading a point apiece in the opening ten minutes, the impressive Byrne converting a free before Mulrone drove over a long range score in response.

When Byrne notched his fifth point of the contest it left three in it, 0-10 to 0-07 as the encounter entered the final quarter.

However, it was all Fermanagh after this as they pushed on for the win.

Declan McCusker, Jones (2) Paul McCusker, Quigley and Ruairi Corrigan all registered scores as Fermanagh ran out comfortable winners.

Fermanagh T. Treacy; N. Cassidy, J. Allen, M. O'Brien; D. McCusker (0-01), R. McCluskey, J. McMahon; E. Donnelly, R. O'Callaghan; B. Mulrone (0-02), R. Jones (0-03), P. McCusker (0-01); R. Corrigan (0-02), S. Quigley (0-07, 5f, 2 '45), E. McManus.

Subs - T. Corrigan for E. McManus, M. Jones for Allen, A. Breen for McCusker, D. McQuade for O'Callaghan Louth N. Gallagher; K. Toner, P. Reilly, D. O'Hanlon; D. Crilly, P. Rath, A. Reid; B. Donnelly, E. O'Connor (0-01); B. Duffy, C. Judge, D. Byrne (0-05, 2f); R. Burns (0-01), D. O'Connor, D. Maguire.

Subs - C. Grimes for Donnelly, C. Lynch for Gallagher, J. Stewart for Reid, P. Kirwan for Maguire, T. Durnin for D. O'Connor Black card - R. Moore replaced E. O'Connor