Killoe may just have the edge over Colmcille in the quest for Longford SFC title glory

It was supposed to be a wide open affair before a ball was kicked in the 2025 senior football championship but the cream has come to the top in the final destination of the much sought after Connolly Cup. 

The two most consistent teams in recent years, Killoe and Colmcille, will clash in the eagerly awaited title decider at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Sunday (throw-in 4pm) and with little separating the senior finalists don’t rule out the possibility of a draw.

That’s what happened last year with Colmcille eventually losing out against Abbeylara in the replay after extra-time and Ger Carberry’s charges are showing a fierce desire to get across the finishing line this time, a fact clearly reflected in their surprise win over the firm favourites Clonguish in the semi-final.

Quietly fancied by some shrewd observers to cause an upset against the young guns, Colmcille produced a tremendous second half display to knock the stunned Newtownforbes outfit out of the championship for the second year in succession.

Building on their revenge win over Abbeylara in the quarter-final, the 2022 county champions are shaping up well for another crack at Connolly Cup glory but will need to be at their best in the battle to cross the final hurdle.

Standing in their way are the vastly experienced Killoe side who have come through the undisputed easier side of the draw with emphatic wins against Dromard and Rathcline and are ironically meeting Colmcille for the first time ever in the SFC final.

There are mixed opinions as to who will emerge victorious in the biggest game of the year in Longford GAA but Emmet Og have enjoyed a good record in the championship against Colmcille during the past few years.

The clubs were pitted in the same group this season and both had already qualified for the quarter-finals when they clashed for top spot at the Higginstown grounds in Granard, resulting in a 2-10 to 0-12 win for Killoe. 

Colmcille trailed by the wide margin of 9 points when defender Niall Farrelly scored the second goal for Emmet Og in the 47th minute, although the gap was gradually closed with the 2024 runners-up guilty of poor finishing after enjoying plenty of possession. 

There was little at stake in that fixture, so it cannot really be used as a formguide, but it was a much different story when the clubs clashed in the semi-final a couple of years ago with Killoe cruising to a comfortable 1-13 to 1-7 success on their way to winning the SFC title for the 14th time. 

Their record in the county final is remarkable in the modern era, starting with the breakthrough success back in 2012 when the Connolly Cup was regained for the first time since 1995. 

Subsequent SFC titles in 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020 and 2023 is a truly outstanding achievement and having developed a winning habit when it really matters is a definite boost for Killoe in their quest for some more silverware.

Guided by Cavan native Jimmy Higgins from Kilnaleck, the ex-Crosserlough manager is assisted by former Longford footballer Donal Ledwith (Abbeylara) in their tenure with the Killoe club and the only apparent injury concern is Larry Moran.

Moran did not feature against Rathcline and it remains to be seen whether he will be fit enough to play any part in the final.

Even in the absence of attacker Larry, there is plenty of scoring power in the Killoe team with 12 of the players getting their names on the scoresheet in the semi-final including substitutes Ronan McGoldrick, Evan Farrelly and Cian Dooner such is their strong squad.

After overcoming his injury problems, Mickey Quinn was a dominant figure at midfield against Rathcline alongside the industrious team captain Ronan Keogh while the dangerman in the attack is the lightning quick full-forward Paddy Moran with the valuable assistance of Danny Mimnagh.   

The Moffett brothers Ryan and Darren are the backbone of the defence with the penetrating runs of wing back James Moran another key factor for the well-balanced Killoe team who will be difficult to beat in their bid to make amends for the bitter disappointment of defeat in last year’s semi-final against Abbeylara by a single point.  

The main cause for concern for Colmcille is the foot injury sustained by big Fergal Sheridan who was forced to retire in the early stages of the second half of the semi-final against Clonguish and his powerful presence will be sorely missed if he happens to be ruled out of the final.  

The 7 times Longford SFC champions are particularly strong in attack with the scoring prowess of Jack Macken, Cathal McCabe, captain Barry McKeon and the inspirational Cathal Reilly a serious threat and who will be hard stopped when they succeed in gaining vital possession.

The vital contribution of two-pointers is proving to be a key factor for Colmcille while keeping things in control in the defence will be the evergreen ‘general’ Declan Reilly who is still a force at 40 years of age. 

Like Killoe, the gutsy Colmcille team are laced with experience while a rising young star is Eoghan Williams who is commanding the full-back position with authority.

Longford senior Ruairi Harkin is well capable of making a big impact in the half-back-line, with the versatile Vinny Hourican another key player, and few can argue with the fact that Colmcille will be a tough nut to crack. 

Predicting the eventual outcome is a difficult task in a game that could go either way but Killoe may just have the edge in adding to their long list of honours. 

Prediction: Killoe Emmet Og

Special County Finals supplement in this week’s Longford Leader