Longford crack Cavan in great winning start to U-20 campaign

Longford . . . 2-9    Cavan . . . 2-7 

In their first competitive game of the new season in the build up to the Leinster Championship, Kieran Carey’s charges were behind for the majority of this entertaining  encounter but remained in the battle long enough to strike a late killer blow.

Substitutes Jason Glancy (penalty goal) and Jack Walshe (free) combined in injury time for 1-1 to seal a good victory in the opening round of the Development League. 

It was a new look Longford side who fielded just three players who started last year’s narrow championship exit to Meath. Oisin O’Toole, Dylan Lynch and Matt Duffy returned to the side but this was a young team in the majority with numerous St Mel’s players still to return to the fold after their penultimate exit in the Leinster Championship.

Longford relied on Granard cousins Micheal and Jamie Brady Hynes for scores in the first half, especially when towering centre-half-forward Matt Duffy was forced to retire injured. 

Brady Hynes was on target again with a well struck goal in the early stages of the second half when they trailed by 2-5 to 0-6 and the spirited comeback was complete.   

The remaining fixtures in the group stage of the U-20 football development league are away to Leitrim (in Carrick on Saturday next, 1pm) and at home to Fermanagh (March 4) while Longford are at home to Meath in the first round of the Leinster Championship on Tuesday March 21. The other group stage fixtures in the championship are away to Laois and Carlow.

LONGFORD: Oisin McManus (Killoe); Darragh Finlass (Forgney); Sean Morgan (Longford Slashers), Cian Sutton (Clonguish); Diarmuid Farrell (Ardagh Moydow), Oisin O’Toole (Dromard), Josh Sorohan (Clonguish); Dylan Lynch (Sean Connolly’s), Ben Lynn (Longford Slashers); Padraig Boyle (Ballymore), Matt Duffy (Dromard), James Galligan (Clonguish); Micheal Hynes (Granard, 0-2), Jamie Brady Hynes (Granard, 1-6, 4f, 1m), Eoghan Williams (Colmcille).

Subs:- Caolan Lynch (Abbeylara) for M Duffy (injured, 6 mins); Harvey Townsend (Ballymahon) for P Boyle (41 mins); Aaron Smyth (Colmcille) for J Galligan (47 mins); Jack Walshe (Ballymahon, 0-1, f) for E Williams (56 mins); Jason Glancy (Clonguish, 1-0, pen) for J  Brady Hynes (56 mins); Dylan Reilly (Granard) for J Sorohan (59 mins); Oisin Flynn (Ballymore) for M Hynes (stoppage time).

 CAVAN: Cillian Brady; Evan Crowe, Ben McGahan, Sean Óg McGearty; Caoláin McCabe,  Kyle McCabe, Philip Smyth; Mark McDermott, Oran Rehill (0-1); Turlough Farrelly (0-1, f), Barry Donnelly (1-0), Shane Tynan (1-3, 2f); Daire Madden, Ben Tierney, Favor Shehu (0-1).

Subs:- Ryan Brady for B Tierney (half-time); Matthew Costello for D Madden (42 mins);  Lorcan Reilly for B  McGahan (42 mins); Cian Keaney (0-1) for T Farrelly (42 mins); Liam Maguire for K McCabe (52 mins); Oran Daly for B Donnelly (60 mins); Thomas Partington for O Rehill (60 mins); Emmanuel Shehu  for F Shehu (60 mins).