Longford manager Paddy Christie very happy with another win and Leitrim the next target

After the vital league victory over London in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Sunday last, the Longford manager Paddy Christie expressed his delight at having recorded back-to-back wins having also beaten Waterford away the previous week.

"We are very happy, we would have taken a one-point victory, but to win by eight points and the manner in which we achieved it especially in the second half is very satisfying. 

“Having lost our first two games our confidence was dented and maybe apprehension develops, and that was evident in the first fifteen minutes of our performance as we lost a lot of ball and turned it over. But once we settled down after that, we played some great football and it was the nature of the victory with the grit, determination, and intensity that we had that pleased me most. 

“We outworked them and put a lot of bodies on the line making some brilliant blocks, hits, and tackles which are the fundamentals of the game and apart from the opening quarter of an hour, we did all that very well and that was very gratifying.

“A lot of people do not appreciate the number of games that are won by blocks, hits and tackles, and yes skill and tactics do come into it, but the other aspects are just as important and form the foundations of success.”

As mentioned, Longford did struggle against London in the opening fifteen minutes but a crucial equalising point from Darren Gallagher on nineteen minutes to level the contest at two points each was a game changing moment that settled Longford and spurred them on.

 Indeed, in this scribe’s opinion it was the score of the match as Mickey Quinn and Daniel Mimnagh combined brilliantly as they worked their way down the field to set-up Gallagher  for that levelling point.

 Christie said that score was an example of football played at pace that Longford produced on several occasions during the game. 

“A lot of it was give and go football going uphill playing against the breeze in the first half and yes, that was a very good move. It was an example of playing the game at pace and when we do that consistently, we have shown that we are a good team. 

“The Keelan McGann and Daniel Mimnagh goals were other examples of how we played the game at pace. All those moves were as a result of fast hands, fast legs, and fast movement of the ball.

“It was lovely to see but the most gratifying thing for me was the work rate, the tackling, and the general intensity of the play. Sometimes it went wrong and we overcommitted, and got caught out, especially for their goal, but we will fine tune that balance for the Leitrim game.”

Longford were caught short at the back for their goal but  were unlucky to concede as Darren Gallagher had superbly blocked Liam Gallagher’s original shot, but the rebound fell kindly for his namesake to score at the second attempt.

“We lost the ball around the middle of the field from the kickout and that created their goal opportunity which they took, but yes that block by Darren Gallagher was another example of our excellent blocking game and how our players never stepped off their opponents and made it as hard as possible for London to get their scores. 

“That is what we need to continue to do in our remaining games. There are people doubting that we are good enough to get promoted to Division 3 so we have to prove them wrong and once we step up to the plate and have a go, which is all we can ask of the players.”

Christie turned his attention to next Sunday’s big local derby clash against Leitrim at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, knowing that a victory is crucial if Longford are to have any chance of promotion. Despite their last gasp one-point defeat away to Carlow, Leitrim with three wins from their four games will be hard beaten. 

“Before today’s game against Carlow, Leitrim had won their first three games so they will be very tough opposition. We just need to beat Leitrim by a point, the result is what matters next Sunday.

 “Their confidence will be high, it is a local derby, and a lot of Leitrim folk only have to travel half an hour down the road to attend the game, so it is not an away game for them in that sense. It will take a lot of work on our part to beat them on Sunday, but we are capable of victory in what I expect to be a very tight, close contest.”