Longford IFC: Ardagh Moydow through to the last four as Connolly’s crash out

Needing a win to make it through to the last four, Ardagh Moydow achieved their aim in getting the better of Sean Connolly’s in the crunch Group A Round 3 clash at the excellent Andy Flood Park in Legan on Saturday evening last. 

Ardagh Moydow . . . 1-13   Sean Connolly’s . . . 1-10

 The bitter disappointment of losing the last two Intermediate finals came back to haunt the Ballinalee side on this occasion as they crashed out of the Tier 2 championship in a surprise setback and are now facing the relegation play-offs.
A draw would have been good enough to keep Connolly’s in contention and it was looking like that until Daryl Carrigy kept his composure to land a matchwinning two-pointer from play in the 59th minute.
Connor Hogan then surged forward to fist the ball over the bar to clinch a deserved win for Ardagh Moydow who showed the greater urgency to come out on top and thus advance to meet Cashel in the semi-final.
Particularly prominent for Liam Keenan’s well drilled team was their chief marksman Dylan Coday who ended up with a total of 1-6 with all the points coming from frees.
The Coady goal in the early stages of the second half was a big lift for Ardagh Moydow and while Dessie Reynolds raced through to find the corner of the net in the 42nd minute to leave Connolly’s leading by 1-9 to 1-8, the best they could do during the remainder of the match was a point from substitute John Doris in the 54th minute.
Ardagh Moydow added another 0-5 to their tally to emerge victorious and could well go on to capture the Gerry Hennessy Cup on the evidence of this solid performance.
Playing with the advantage of the stiff wind in the first half, Connolly’s were left to rue a number of missed chances to hold a slender 0-8 to 0-6 lead at the break.
All their scores came from two-pointers fired over by Daniel Reynolds (on target in the opening minute), Dessie Reynolds (2 frees) and Sean Kenny while four of the Ardagh Moydow scores were registered by Dylan Coady (frees).
Daryl Carrigy and Killian Farrell were also on the mark but their side had to endure some anxious moments in the second half with Daniel Reynolds wasting a clear-cut goal chance early on the changeover.
A point from a free converted by Dessie in this same attack kept Connolly’s in front but the course of the game changed as wind assisted Ardagh Moydow hit back with a fine point from wing back Shane Henry along with the Coady goal in the 36th minute.
Then came the Dessie Reynolds goal and things were extremely tight before the issue was settled with the well struck two-pointer from Carrigy.
Ardagh Moydow, who were also guilty of some poor finishing, then had a close call when a fisted attempt from county midfielder Daire Duggan drifted wide before a point from Hogan in stoppage time secured the win for the South Longford outfit.

ARDAGH MOYDOW: Cian O’Beirne; Mark McCord, Tommy Powell, Jack Gallagher; Conor Carroll, Gerard Farrell, Shane Henry (0-1); Eugene Murray, Emmet Donlon; Diarmuid Farrell, Paddy Keenan, Connor Hogan (0-1); Dylan Coady (1-7, 7 frees), Daryl Carrigy (0-3, 1 two-pointer), Killian Farrell (0-1), 

Subs:- Mark Quinn for P Keenan (57 mins); James McGoey for G Farrell (injured). 

SEAN CONNOLLY’S: John McKenna; Diarmuid Glennon, Sean O’Sullivan, Ciaran MacEoin; Darragh Earlie, Dylan Lynch, John Rawle; Daire Duggan, Jack Reilly; Stephen Lynch, Ronan McGreal, Sean Kenny (0-2, two-pointer); Daniel Farrell, Dessie Reynolds (1-5, brace of two-pointer frees, 1 free), Daniel Reynolds (0-2, two-pointer).

Subs:- Trevor Murtagh for S Lynch (25 mins). Second half: Evan Tully for D Earlie; John Doris (0-1) for S Kenny; Paddy Reynolds for C MacEoin (blood). 

Referee: Tony Gaffney (Mostrim).  

Intermediate Football Championship Semi-Finals

St Brigid’s Killashee v Ballymahon

Cashel v Ardagh Moydow 

Games to be played on Sunday September 21

Relegation Play-Offs (Round Robin)

Sean Connolly’s, Grattans, Ballymore and Kenagh