Resilient Longford knocked out as Meath hang on in a dramatic finish

Meath . . . 1-19 Longford . . . 3-10

While there can be no doubting that Meath were the stronger side, the determined manner in which resilient Longford staged a tremendous comeback from 9 points down in a dramatic finish to the rollercoaster at Allen Park on Thursday night last had to be admired despite the eventual exit from the Leinster Minor (U-17) ‘A’ Football Championship.
Badly hampered for what appeared to be a harsh black card for defender Robert Rowan with twelve minutes gone in the second half, at a crucial stage when the underdogs were a point ahead (2-5 to 0-10), the visitors utilised their influential substitutes to significant effect in making the most of the extra man advantage.
The Longford goals from Cormac Mulligan (24th minute) and James Flynn (the latter on target with a couple of minutes gone on the changeover) gave Longford great hope of getting the win they needed to remain in the race for the provincial title but it was not to be.
During the ten-minute period with 14 players, the home county conceded 1-7 with the killer goal a cracking strike from substitute Adam McEvoy but the boys in blue and gold somehow found the energy to mount a remarkable revival with the stunned Meath outfit reeling on the ropes.
Outstanding corner forward Brendan Martin clocked up 1-5 that included a brace of two-pointer frees to close the gap to the minimum of margins. Longford then had a definite claim for a free ignored by the referee for what appeared to be a foul on Diarmuid O’Brien who replaced the injured Troy Tiernan in the closing stages of the first half.
Guilty of squandering several chances during the course of this thriller, Meath made sure of the victory with a point apiece from replacements Lewis Ryan and Sean Delaney deep into stoppage time.
The Royal County were very relieved to hear the sound of the final whistle to clinch second spot in the group and a place in the quarter-finals whereas the gallant losers Longford move into a secondary competition.
Longford trailed by 0-8 to 0-3 at one stage of the first half and would have been further behind but for some poor finishing by Meath which included a glorious goal chance for full-forward Stephen Cahill in the 22nd minute.
Put through by the impressive no 15 Nathan Reilly who registered a total of 8 points (3 frees), Cahill shot narrowly wide from close range and rampant Meath should have been out of sight.
Longford were then thrown a lifeline with a goal from Cormac Mulligan and thanks to a two-pointer (play) in stoppage time from Brendan Martin, just the minimum of margins separated the sides at the break.
Donal Ledwith, Liam Greene and Granard ace Martin accounted for the other scores in the first half and Longford took the lead with a goal from James Flynn in the early stages of the second half after a shot from Cormac Mulligan was blocked.
Meath regained the upper hand to move 9 points ahead but gutsy Longford never gave up the fight (despite kicking a few costly wides) and there was a touch of class about the Brendan Martin goal as he weaved his way through to shoot to the net in the 59th minute.
Martin quickly followed up to fire over his third 2-pointer as a shock result was looming but Meath produced a strong finish that yielded a brace of points and ultimate victory.

LONGFORD: Ray McNally (Longford Slashers); Jack O’Farrell (Carrickedmond), Cathal Lynch (Clonguish), Jack Conlon (Sean Connolly’s); Robert Rowan (Kenagh), Billy Maguire (Longford Slashers, captain), Aidan Mollaghan (Killashee); Max Gallagher (Ardagh Moydow), Dylan Ledwith (Abbeylara, 0-1); Diarmuid Breslin (Carrickedmond), Cormac Mulligan (Dromard, 1-0), Liam Greene (Mostrim, 0-1); Troy Tiernan (Grattans), James Flynn (Clonguish, 1-0), Brendan Martin (Granard, 1-8, 3 two-pointers).

Subs:- Diarmuid O’Brien (Longford Slashers) for T Tiernan (injured, 25 mins); Daniel Corr (Granard) for A Mollaghan (44 mins); Aidan Kelly (Cashel) for D Ledwith (47 mins); Oisin McHugh (Grattans) for J Flynn (54 mins).

MEATH: Kian Campbell; Charlie O’Connor, Conall O’Sullivan, Glen Callaghan; Tadhg Foley, Eoghan McBrearty, Niall Lawless (0-1); Declan Byrne, Charlie Gallagher (0-1, free); Will Byrne, Cillian Murphy, Robert Johnson (0-2); Cormac Murray (0-1), Stephen Cahill (0-2), Nathan Reilly (0-8, 3 frees).

Subs:- Adam McEvoy (1-0) for C Murray (41 mins); Sean Delaney (0-3, 1 two-pointer) for W Byrne (46 mins); Jeff Foley for R Johnson (50 mins); Lewis Ryan (0-1) for T Foley (54 mins); Luke Casey for N Lawless (58 mins).        

Referee: Seamus Farrelly (Dublin).