Second half goal the decisive score as Kildare gradually get the better of brave Longford

Kildare . . . 1-15    Longford . . . 0-11 

Showing a lot of resilience in sticking with a strongly fancied Kildare side for most of the match, brave Longford eventually had to settle for second best in the Leinster U-20 Football Championship Round 1 clash at Manguard Park, Hawkfield in Newbridge on Tuesday night.

It was a tight contest up until the decisive second half goal from Kildare full-forward Ross Harris in the 47th minute and the lilywhites pulled away to win by the comfortable margin of seven points in the finish. 

Longford are back in action against Louth (two point winners over Offaly) in the second round of the group stage at Allen Park in Newtownforbes next Tuesday evening April 2nd  (throw-in 7.30pm) and another defeat must be avoided if Kieran Carey’s side are to keep alive their hopes of reaching the knock-out stages of the U-20 championship with the top 2 to qualify.  

Backboned by six Clonguish players with five of that talented group starting for their club against Killoe in last year’s county SFC final, this was always going to be a tough battle for Longford against the reigning Leinster and All-Ireland U-20 champions. 

In a fine game of open football, both teams attacked at every opportunity with Kildare holding a slender 0-8 to 0-6 lead at the break thanks to three late scores in the first half in coming from a point down to go back in front. 

It was Longford who opened the scoring with a point after 30 seconds from Paddy Moran before Kildare hit back with three points on the trot to lead by two after 11 minutes.

Longford then upped their game with points from Matthew Carey and Michael Flynn and when Caolan Lynch raised a white flag the sides were level at 0-4 apiece after 23 minutes.

The next two points were shared before Michael Flynn converted a free for Longford to take the lead (0-6 to 0-5) but it was Kildare who finished the stronger in the first half to fire over three points in a row. 

The early stages of the second half were shared equally before Colm Dalton got his third point for Kildare, followed by the vital goal coming from a long ball in by Ryan Sinkey with Ross Harris arriving late and getting the vital touch to find the back of the net.

While determined Longford kept plugging away, they were outscored 0-4 to 0-2 during the remainder of this entertaining encounter and now face a couple of crucial games at home to both Louth and Offaly at Allen Park in their quest to make further progress in the provincial championship. 

Scorers: Kildare - Niall Dolan 0-4 (2 frees), Ross Harris 1-0, Colm Dalton 0-3, Ryan Sinkey 0-3 (1 free), David McPartlin 0-2 (2 ‘45s), James Harris 0-1, Killian Browne 0-1, Dara Crowley 0-1.

Scorers: Longford - Matthew Carey 0-4 (2 frees), Caolan Lynch 0-3, Michael Flynn 0-3 (2 frees), Paddy Moran 0-1.

KILDARE: David McPartlin; Rob Fitzgerald, Eoin Lawlor, Ethan Mountaine; Killian Browne, James Harris, Colm Dalton; Dara Crowley, Fionn Cooke; Oisin Grufferty, Niall Dolan, Niall Cullen; Ryan Sinkey, Ross Harris, Josh O'Donoghue.

Subs:- Sean Mahon for R Fitzgerald (half-time); Sam Savage for J O'Donoghue (44 mins); Mark Fitzsimons for O Grufferty (55 mins); TJ Nolan for F Cooke (58 mins); Ben Loakman for C Dalton (59 minutes).

LONGFORD: Oisín McManus (Killoe Emmet Og); Conor Smith (Clonguish), Ruairí O'Toole (Dromard), Eoghan Williams (Colmcille); Gavin Farrelly (Killoe Emmet Og), Andrew Flynn (Clonguish), Ronan Courtney (Mostrim); Aaron Smyth (Colmcille), Ross Shields (Clonguish); Caolan Lynch (Abbeylara), Matthew Carey (Clonguish), Matthew Flynn (Clonguish); Sean Smith (Colmcille), Paddy Moran (Killoe Emmet Og), Michael Flynn (Clonguish). 

Subs:- Jack Belton (Mostrim) for A Smyth (half-time); Harry Kiernan (St Mary’s Granard) for S Smith (41 mins); Jamie Brady Hynes (St Mary’s Granard) for J Belton (51 mins); Brian Mulvey (Carrickedmond) for C Lynch (56 mins); Oisín Flynn (Ballymore) for G Farrelly (59 mins).

REFEREE: James Foley (Carlow).