Longford Slashers and Wolfe Tones Mostrim battle it out for the Senior Hurling Championship title

Longford Slashers and Wolfe Tones Mostrim will battle it out for the honour of lifting the Duignan Cup with a close encounter expected in the eagerly awaited Senior Hurling Championship Final at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park this Sunday, throw-in 3pm. 

Just a solitary point (0-20 to 1-16) separated the sides in the group stage with Slashers (minus the injured Murray brothers Karl and Reuben) coming out on top but the result was still good enough to guarantee the Edgeworthstown outfit a return to the title decider for the first time since 2021 due to their superior scores difference.  

That significant advantage was gained in the emphatic nine points win (5-13 to 0-19) over  Clonguish Gaels in the opening round and the two-in-a-row champions also suffered a defeat against Slashers on a 1-16 to 1-11 scoreline in crashing out of the three-club competition.

 Wolfe Tones were once the unstoppable force in Longford hurling, winning a magnificent six consecutive senior titles (2013 to 2018), but have struggled somewhat in the recent past and were previously crowned the county champions in 2020 when they beat Slashers in the final.

There was change of fortune for the sky-blues the following season when they managed to gain revenge against Edgeworthstown in the championship decider, ending a long barren spell to claim the senior hurling title for the first time in 20 years.

Subsequent defeats against Clonguish Gaels in the 2022 and 2023 finals was a bitter blow for Slashers who will be hoping to make amends in their bid to cross the last hurdle on this occasion.

Reaching the final for the sixth year in succession is a fine achievement but that will count for nothing if Slashers fail to emerge victorious on Sunday. 

Their so dedicated manager Niall Ward has blended together a good blend of youth and experience and providing that county regular Reuben Murray is fit to feature on his recovery from injury, a full strength Slashers side will be hard beaten.

 Other key players Johnny Casey, Karl Murray, Ronan Sheahan, David Buckley, Micheal Mulcahy, Kealan Cox and the Caslin twins Diarmuid and Darragh can all figure prominently in the townies quest for a 13th senior hurling success.

Under the driving force of their coach John Lynam, with valuable assistance from the vastly experienced Mattie McLoughlin, Wolfe Tones have got their act together this year and the Mostrim club will be quietly confident of winning the Longford Championship for the 21st time. 

Leading the charge for glory will be Martin Coyle and James Connell at centrefield while there is plenty of scoring power in the attack with John Mulhern, Tiarnan Hussey, Ronan Courtney and chief marksman Cathal Mullane all capable of making a big impact.

 The lethal Mullane has clocked up the impressive total of 1-19 (16 frees) against Clonguish Gaels and Slashers in the group stage and his serious threat will be difficult to contain.

 The backbone of the Wolfe Tones defence is provided by Evan Tully, Adam Quinn, Michael Savage and Cian McLoughlin,  along with the versatile Pearse McNally, and while this is a difficult game to predict, Slashers might just have the edge in the probable tight contest for the senior hurling title. 

PREDICTION: Longford Slashers