Longford SFC Final: Clonguish are rapidly rising but Killoe look to have the edge

Touted as a team for the future on the strength of their tremendous underage triumphs, few were expecting the Newtownforbes club to get this far so soon at senior level but against the odds the underdogs have made it through to the county final.

Needing a result in their remaining group stage game against Granard which was duly delivered in some style, Clonguish sprang a major surprise in taking down the might of Mullinalaghta in the quarter-final and the young guns showed a lot of character in coming from behind to eventually defeat Dromard after extra-time in a terrific tussle.

Former Kenagh and Longford defender Liam Belton, in his second season as the manager of the Clonguish squad, has carried out a tremendous job in guiding his adopted club into the senior championship decider for the first time in 12 years.

While Killoe have a definite edge in experience, clearly reflected in the great success they have enjoyed during the past decade, the current manager Luke Dempsey will be very wary of the threat that Clonguish can pose in the eagerly awaited clash of the neighbouring rivals. 

Emmet Og have won all of the five county finals they have contested since making the breakthrough back in 2012 and this glorious period also yielded the 2014, 2015, 2019 and 2020 senior titles.

That is a fantastic record and with their fierce rivals Mullinalaghta now out of the way, the general opinion is that Killoe will be very hard stopped on Sunday. 

After cruising through the group stage with just one defeat in a meaningless final round fixture against Abbeylara, it must be said that Young Emmets were hard pressed to get past Slashers in the quarter-final with the narrow margin of three points separating the sides in the finish.

It was a different story in the semi-final clash against the reigning champions Colmcille as relentless Killoe stepped up another gear in a highly charged performance and are peaking at just  the right time. 

The return of Paddy Kiernan this season has been a big boost and he will team up with Ryan Moffett in a fairly formidable midfield pairing that Clonguish will find difficult to contain. 

Liam Hughes and Darren Moffett backbone a generally sound defence and there is serious power in the attack with Michael Quinn, Daniel Mimnagh and Mark Hughes very much the main men.

The roving Quinn has a habit of popping up all over the pitch and he is the most influential player on the well-balanced Killoe team who are missing long term casualty James Morain 

Few can argue with the fact that former Longford boss Luke Dempsey and his assistant Stephen Coy are working with the strongest squad in the county with the emergence of promising young players in Gavin Farrelly, Colm Coyle and Paddy Moran.

Injury ruled Moran out of the knockout games against Slashers and Colmcille but he could be fit to feature in the final while the Killoe management can also call on impact substitute Ronan McGoldrick to make his presence felt if required.

Cian Farrelly is the inspired Killoe captain and he is joined on the team by his brothers Niall, Gavin and Evan. 

Another useful addition to the Killoe panel is Jake Donnelly who has returned home from working abroad in Malta. 

After spending the past number of years in the wilderness and who last won the senior football championship title back in 2009, Clonguish are back and will be a serious force in the future.

Whether they are good enough to win their 13th SFC title this weekend remains to be seen but they will show no fear with the evergreen David Barden leading the charge for glory

Barden collected the man of the match award in the 2009 final replay against Dromard and he will be joined in the full-forward-line 14 years down the road by a couple of exciting prospects in minors Matthew Carey and Michael Flynn.

The deadly duo are clocking up the scores in the current championship campaign with Carey shooting the impressive total of 1-7 in the semi-final epic against Dromard. Jack Duggan is another rising star who excelled in the win over Mullinalaghta and he clearly has the ability to play a major role in the county final. 

Matthew Flynn and his first cousin Andrew Flynn are other members of the talented young brigade and these lads come from a family with a very proud Clonguish tradition. 

Club Chairman Ronan Sweeney will captain the Clonguish team in Sunday’s intriguing final that is expected to attract a very big attendance while other key figures are Conor Shields, Darran Quinn and Gerry Moore.

Former forward Joe O’Brien has certainly played his part in his new role as the goalkeeper, making a few crucial saves along the way, and Clonguish will be quietly confident of causing another upset. 

Killoe have been well warned but the value of the vast experience they have gained in making numerous county final appearances in the recent past should stand to them on the big occasion and they look to have the edge in the bid to win the county SFC title for the 14th time.  

Prediction: Killoe Emmet Og