Westmeath’s second half goals shatter the Longford minors

Shattered after conceding three second half goals in the space of five minutes, Longford crashed to a disappointing defeat against Westmeath in the opening round of the Leinster Minor Football Championship at Allen Park on Thursday night.

Westmeath . . . 3-15    Longford . . . 0-12

Played in difficult wet conditions at the Newtownforbes venue, the home county trailed by just a couple of points (0-10 to 0-8) when full-forward Eoin Beattie converted a free with three minutes gone on the changeover but then faded right out of contention.

From the moment Darragh Murray raised the first of the green flags in the 40th minute when his shot was almost stopped from crossing the line by the Longford keeper Jack Cassidy, the writing was on the wall as Westmeath asserted their superiority.

Influential substitutes Finn Brennan and Josh Murtagh then broke through to score further goals in quick succession and the visitors ended up winning by the wide margin of 12 points in a very positive start to their championship campaign. 

The pressure is now on the Longford U-17s in the hope of making it through to the knockout stage and victory is a must in their next game away to Offaly on Tuesday April 7 with the remaining fixture in the group at home to Dublin a week later. 

LONGFORD: Jack Cassidy (Rathcline); Sean Hagan (Clonguish), Jack O’Farrell (Carrickedmond), Brayden Francis (Fr Manning Gaels); Niall O’Donnell (St Mary’s Granard, 0-2), Oren McNerney (Dromard, 0-1), Rian Hogan (Rathcline); Cillian Fagan (Mullinalaghta, 0-1), Robert Rowan (Kenagh); Ruairi Flynn (Clonguish), Senan Buckley (Clonguish), Daire Toher (Clonguish, 0-1); Troy Tiernan (Grattans, 0-1, free), Eoin Beattie (Cashel, 0-4, 3 frees), Oisin McHugh (Grattans, 0-1).

Subs:- Temporary - Shane Hannify (Fr Manning Gaels) for R Hogan (injured, 20 mins). 

Second half:- Conor Shannon (Killoe Emmet Og) for R Flynn (43 mins); Leon Madden (Colmcille, 0-1) for D Toher (45 mins); Mark Keegan (Ardagh Moydow) for T Tiernan (48 mins); Charlie Reilly (Dromard) for O McHugh (57 mins); Sean Finlass (Ballymahon).

WESTMEATH: Tom McCaul; Tom Weir, Tomas Brennan, Louie Dillon; Cian McKeogh (0-1), Eoghan Daly, Gary Staunton; Dean Kelly (0-1), Billy Stenson; Conor Cleary (0-1), Darragh Murray (1-2), Alex Mullen Adamson (0-2); Stephen McWade (0-4, 2 frees), Aaron Connaire (0-2), Hugo Corroon.

Subs:- second half:- Finn Brennan (1-0) for McKeogh (half-time); Josh Murtagh (1-1) for Corroon; Harry Hughes (0-1) for McWade; Mark Monaghan for Mullen Adamson; Darragh Deegan for Stenson.  

Referee: Fergal Smyth (Offaly).