Longford hurlers suffer first league defeat
Longford suffered their first defeat in Division 4 of the National Hurling League when losing by four points against the table toppers Monaghan in Inniskeen on Sunday last.
It was a tightly contested game between two evenly matched sides with the home side finishing the strongest. They were just a point in front at the end of normal time but got their decisive score in the final minute of injury-time when Michael Lennon flicked Ronan Meegan's long ball to the net. It was too late for a Longford comeback.
Longford can take a lot of positives out of the game; it was a fine display from a side that were missing a lot of key players, most notably leading marksman Declan Tanner. Both sides could meet again in the Division 4 Final, if they win their remaining two games. There's no doubt that with a full-strength panel to pick from Longford could avenge this defeat.
Once again Gareth Ghee was in inspirational form for Longford; racking up 1-9. His superbly taken goal in the 28th minute of the game gave Longford a four point cushion at that stage. They held that same advantage going in at the break and were playing with confidence but they were dealt a massive blow two minutes on the changeover that allowed Monaghan back into the game.
Brian McGuigan's shot appeared to have fallen short of the target and Longford goalkeeper Paddy Cullen was able to gather and clear but the umpire amazingly raised the green flag, claiming that the netminder had stepped over his own line with the ball. Even Monaghan were baffled by the decision but they weren't going to complain because they were now just one point behind Longford.
Monaghan's top scorer Michael McHugh (who finished with eight points, all from placed balls), opened the scoring in the third minute of the game after McGuigan was fouled. A foul on Ciaran Finnucane one minute later allowed Gareth Ghee to open his and Longford's account with an excellent long range free.
Ghee followed that point up with another excellent score and John Newman extended the lead by two points with another fine score. But Monaghan drew level with a free from McHugh and a lovely point from midfielder Trevor Hilliard.
Longford regained the lead in the 12th minute when Ghee played the ball into John Minnock who struck over a fine score. Another Ghee free minutes later put two between the sides but two frees from McHugh levelled matters again.
Gareth Ghee replied for Longford in the 26th minute to edge them in front and there was four between the sides two minutes later when the Longford Slashers man fired home an excellent goal after good play from Eoin Donnellan and John Minnock.
Points were then exchanged between Brian Phelan and Ciaran Finnucane and Longford went in at the break four points in front; 1-7 to 0-6.
That lead was cut to two points two minutes after the restart when Monaghan got a rather fortunate goal after Paddy Cullen was adjudged to have crossed his own line with the ball after Brian McGuigan’s shot dropped short.
The game was all square for the fourth time one minute later when McHugh fired over a free from about 40 metres out, his fifth of the game. But Ghee hit back with a pointed free after Newman was fouled.
Monaghan nearly got their second goal of the game in the 42nd minute but Ronan Meegan’s goalbound shot crashed off the crossbar. Two frees from McHugh in the space of four minutes put Monaghan ahead for only the second time in the game. But yet again, Gareth Ghee hit over two excellent scores to re-claim the lead for Longford.
A point from Michael Lennon and a well struck ’65 from McHugh edged Monaghan ahead by a point as the game entered the final ten minutes. Sean Leonard and Johnny McAnespie extended that lead to three points with two scores inside one minute.
Ghee fired over two frees to close the gap to just one point with two minutes of normal time remaining. Monaghan had a chance to kill the game off in the first minute of injury-time when a pass from McHugh into Meegan was intercepted but right at the death they got their second goal when Lennon finished Meegan’s ball to the net.
MONAGHAN: Gerard Ruddy; Peter Treanor, Paul Murphy, Aidan Kerr; Declan Crowe, Aidan Og McAnespie, Johnny McAnespie (0-1); Brian Phelan (0-1), Trevor Hilliard (0-1); Michael Lennon (1-1), Sean Leonard (0-1), Kevin Boylan; Ronan Meegan, Michael McHugh (0-8, 7 frees, 1 ’65), Brian McGuigan (1-0).
Sub:- Dermot Byrne for K Boylan (44 mins).
LONGFORD: Paddy Cullen; Brendan Stakem, Thomas Stakem, Ciaran Finnucane (0-1); Rory Donnellan, Robert Ryland, Eoin Donnellan; Seanie Stakelum, John Lynam; Fergal Daly, Sean Browne, John Newman (0-1); John Minnock (0-1), Gareth Ghee (1-9, six frees), Mark Cassidy.
Sub:- Eoghan Kavanagh for M Cassidy (48 mins).
Referee: Garrett Duffy (Antrim).
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Weather for Longford, Ireland
Sunday 05 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 5 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
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Light rain
Temperature: 5 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 5 mph
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