Longford stage great comeback to beat Fermanagh

National Football League Division 3 - Round 3

Longford . . . . . 1-15 Fermanagh . . . . . 2-11

Longford came back from the dead to keep alive their hopes of consolidating their Division 3 status in the National Football League when they staged a great comeback to eventually beat Fermanagh by a point in a remarkable game at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Sunday.

It was exciting stuff, to say the least, and a big boost for manager Jack Sheedy as Longford finally ended a long losing run in the league stretching back to the narrow defeat in Division 2 away to Wexford on the first Sunday in February last year.

After losing nine games on the trot in the National League, halting the slide is a great lift for the players who showed tremendous courage to rescue the situation after Fermanagh had established a commanding nine points lead (2-5 to 0-2) after 21 minutes of play.

Brian Kavanagh, back in action after injury, got the crucial goal for Longford in the closing stages of the first half while Sean McCormack played a leading role in this badly needed win, shooting a total of eight points (six frees).

Jack Sheedy and his squad can now look forward with a lot more confidence to the next crunch fixture in the National League against Offaly at O’Connor Park in Tullamore on Sunday next.

LONGFORD: Paddy Collum (Fr. Manning Gaels); Dermot Brady (Longford Slashers, captain), Barry Gilleran (Longford Slashers), Fergal Battrim (Abbeylara); Colm P Smyth (Abbeylara), Fergal Reilly (Fr. Manning Gaels, making his National League debut), Shane Mulligan (Mullinalaghta St. Columba’s); John Keegan (Mullinalaghta St. Columba’s), Michael Brady (Longford Slashers); Brian Farrell (Mostrim, 0-1), Mark Hughes (Killoe Emmet Og, 0-2), Michael Quinn (Killoe Emmet Og, 0-1, ‘45’); Paul McKeon (Colmcille, 0-2, one free), Brian Kavanagh (Kilmacud Crokes, 1-0), Sean McCormack (Killoe Emmet Og, 0-8, six frees).

Subs:- Kevin Diffley (Ballymahon) for M Brady (injured, 29 mins); Padraig Gill (Fr. Manning Gaels, 0-1) for B Farrell (50 mins); Cian Mimnagh (Dromard) for P McKeon (65 mins); P McKeon for M Quinn (black card, 70 mins).

FERMANAGH: Thomas Treacy; John Woods. Tiernan Daly, Conor Quigley; Declan McCusker, Ryan McCluskey, Tommy McElroy; Eoin Donnelly, Richard O’Callaghan; Lee Cullen, Ryan Jones, Paul McCusker (0-1); Seamus Quigley (1-4, goal from penalty), Sean Quigley (1-5, four points from frees), Tomas Corrigan.

Subs:- Barry Mulrone for R O’Callaghan (black card, 33 mins); Eamon Maguire for T Corrigan (47 mins); Brian Cox (0-1) for C Quigley (50 mins); Aidan Breen for T Daly (61 mins); Niall Shannon for B Mulrone (65 mins).

Referee: Jerome Henry (Mayo).