Superior Louth shatter Longford’s All-Ireland title dream

Approaching the game in a fairly confident frame of mind in the hope of making it through to the All-Ireland Junior Championship final at Croke Park, the Longford dream was shattered by a superior Louth outfit who cruised to a comprehensive win by the wide margin of 11 points in Clones on Sunday last.   

Louth . . . 1-14    Longford . . . 0-6

The absence of a number of regulars who are on their travels this summer proved to be a major handicap for the midlanders who never recovered from the concession of a goal in the 19th minute after Eimear Byrne kept her composure to find a way past the opposing keeper Aoife Cooney.
Louth added three more points to their tally to lead by 1-7 to 0-2 at the break with Longford reduced to 14 players following a silly yellow card for Mairead Victory in the 26th minute and there was no way back against the breeze on the changeover.
Whatever slim chance of staging a dramatic comeback disappeared when Katie Crawford had a goal disallowed in the 42nd minute after the Meath referee Angela Gallagher penalised a foul after consulting with the umpires.
That close range effort, created by a free from Kamille Burke which dropped short in front of the posts, was a sickening blow for Longford after Louth had extended their commanding advantage with a point apiece from Kate Flood and Aoife Russell.
There was a slight reprieve for the losers when Clodagh Lohan slotted the ball over the bar in the 46th minute, their first score in over half an hour, but the winners kept the scoreboard ticking over to shoot five more points - three from their outstanding full-forward Kate Flood.
That left the ‘Wee’ County 1-14 to 0-3 ahead with 57 minutes gone on the clock and there was just no stopping the fabulous Flood who fired over a total of 10 point (6 frees) to torment the Longford defence who sorely missed their rock solid full-back Leanne Keegan.
In the face of adversity, Brian Farrell’s charges battled it out to the bitter end to land three consolation points in a row in stoppage time through Lohan and a brace from Kamille Burke (1 free).
Unfortunately for Longford, some of their key players failed to produce their best in the sweltering heat at St Tiernan’s Park and this semi-final clash gradually developed into a very disappointing affair.
A small attendance in the region of a couple of hundred spectators gathered in the sunshine in Clones to watch Louth assert their authority in most positions on the pitch, even though the sides were all square (0-2 to 0-2) midway through the first half.
Young midfielder Sian Gallagher registered the opening score in the 6th minute and another point followed from Shauna Hagan in the 14th minute.
Longford then had to endure a barren spell as Louth stepped up a couple of gears to engineer a goal and 8 points in succession to end the game as a contest as they march on to meet Antrim in the All-Ireland Tier 3 final on Sunday August 3rd.
A small county like Longford cannot afford to be without a string of players and would surely be a different proposition with their strongest possible squad available for selection. Maybe next year!

LONGFORD: Aoife Cooney (Clonguish); Grace Kenny (Longford Slashers), Eimear O’Brien (Longford Slashers), Ailbhe Brady (Mostrim); Ella Duggan (Clonguish), Caoimhe McCormack (Carrickedmond), Fumni Talabi (Mostrim); Sian Gallagher (St Brigid’s Gaels Ardagh, 0-1), Aoife O’Brien (Longford Slashers); Shauna Hagan (Dromard, 0-1), Katie Crawford (Carrickedmond), Ella O’Reilly (Mullinalaghta); Kamille Burke (Clonguish, 0-2, 1 free), Clodagh Lohan (Longford Slashers, 0-2), Mairead Victory (Mostrim). 

Subs:- Ciara Mulligan (Carrickedmond) for E O’Reilly (27 mins); Edel Sheehy (Mullinalaghta) for A O'Brien (43 mins); Emma Bleakley (Dromard) for F Talabi (57 mins).

LOUTH: Rebecca Lambe Fagan; Rachel Beirth, Eilis Hand, Eimear Murray; Seoda Matthews, Shannen McLaughlin, Louise Byrne; Aine Breen, Aoife Halligan; Lucy White, Eimear Byrne (1-0), Aoife Russell (0-3); Holly Lambe Sally, Kate Flood (0-10, 6 frees), Ceire Nolan (0-1). 

Subs:- Zara Sweeney for S Matthews (47 mins); Ciara Woods for L White (55 mins); Gemma McCrave for Holly Lambe Sally (51 mins); Mia Duffy for A Breen (stoppage time); Mischa Rooney for E Byrne (stoppage time). 

Referee: Angela Gallagher (Meath).