Longford score fine win over Laois in the Leinster U-20 championship

Longford made a bright start in the Leinster U-20 Football Championship when they withstood a determined Laois comeback in the Group 2 Round 1 clash at O’Moore Park on Wednesday night. 

Longford . . . 2-17     Laois . . . 1-15

Featuring a few members of the U-17 team who won the Leinster Minor Championship a couple of years ago, Longford were in a good position after building up a comfortable 2-9 to 1-5 lead at the break with tigerish defender Mark Cooney and powerful attacker Luke Donnelly getting the crucial goals in the 12th and 16th minutes respectively.  

Donnelly opened the scoring for Longford when he converted a two-pointer free in the 2nd minute with Paddy Mollaghan, Jamie Dorr (2) and the lively James Hagan (4) accounting for the other points in the first half.

 Laois were thrown a lifeline with a goal from Darren Brennan in the 18th minute and following a black card for Cooney in the 29th minute, the pressure was on Longford to consolidate their grip on the game with 14 players in the early stages of the second half.

While Donal Ledwith’s side were in no mood to let the victory slip from their grasp and extended their advantage with a point apiece from wing back William McEntire and Mollaghan, wind assisted Laois then enjoyed a dominant spell which yielded seven points in a row including a two-pointer free from Brennan.

That closed the gap to just two points (2-12 to 1-13) but Longford refused to panic with Luke Donnelly firing over another two-pointer free in the 46th minute.

Further scores followed from Paddy Mollaghan (2), Cormac Flynn and Jamie Dorr late in the game to clinch the well deserved win.

Laois captain Danny McGrath added a consolation two-pointer deep into stoppage time as his long ball into the square bounced and landed between the posts with the visitors coming out on top by a five-point margin. 

Longford will be strongly fancied to beat Carlow (hammered 5-19 to 2-9 against Meath) in the Round 2 clash at Allen Park in Newtownforbes next Wednesday (April 1) in their quest to qualify for the knockout stage of the U-20 championship.    

LAOIS: Cathal Tierney; Ben O’Connor, Dan Boland, Fionn O’Sullivan; Hugo Emerson, Danny McGrath (0-2, two-pointer), Cathal Buggie; Robbie Murphy, Cormac Deegan; Paddy Fitzpatrick (0-2), Eoin Johnson (0-1), Darren Brennan (1-3, 1 two-pointer free, 1 45); Dylan Murphy (0-1), Ennae Byrne (0-4, 3 frees), Ultan Dunne (0-1). 

Subs:- David Donoghue (0-1) for Deegan (37 mins); Jack Julian for Emerson (39 mins); Niall Lalor for Fitzpatrick (49 mins); Tom O’Connell for O’Sullivan (56 mins).

 LONGFORD: Darragh Egan (Carrickedmond); Alex Nugent (Mostrim), Ronan Burke (Ballymahon), Mark Cooney (Clonguish, 1-0); Conor McHugh (Grattans), Colin Gilna (Abbeylara), William McEntire (Dromard, 0-1); Daniel Galvin (Kenagh), Shane Donohoe (Killoe Emmet Og); Peter Farrell (Grattans), Jamie Dorr (Clonguish, 0-3), Luke Donnelly (Colmcille, 1-4, brace of two-pointer frees); James Hagan (Clonguish, 0-4), Paddy Mollaghan (St Brigid’s Killashee, 0-4, 2 frees), Cormac Flynn (Clonguish, 0-1).

Subs:- Sean Fagan (Abbeylara) for P Farrell (47 mins); Max Gallagher (Ardagh Moydow) for D Galvin (49 mins); Alan Mimnagh (Clonguish) for W McEntire (56 mins); Cormac Mulvey (Carrickedmond) for L Donnelly (59 mins); Matthew Farrell (Colmcille) for C Flynn (stoppage time). 

Referee: Darragh Byrne (Wicklow).