Gallant Longford RFC stage spirited comeback but Carlow hold out

Carlow RFC  . . . 19    Longford RFC . . . 12 

All were in the mix on a day when Longford went from flattering to deceive to illustrating in bursts the very form that has seen this side grow in confidence and make a comeback in terms of League points over recent matches. Ultimately it wasn’t to be on a day when very little if anything went this team’s way.

Context is however important before we get into any match detail. Going into gameday, the team were already without 3 kingpins of the usual starting XV with the influential Benny McManus, Kieran O’Gorman and Finbarr McGowan all missing from the team sheet due to injury or unavailability.

This was however further compounded on the day itself with the late withdrawals of Liam Brady & George McDermott – 2 more key players who have been in rich form over recent weeks. 

Travelling to Carlow is a tough away day at the best of times but without 5 of last week’s starting team that so impressively beat Mullingar meant that this was going to be an even harder challenge to overcome.

This is a squad effort though and in stepped able deputies to take their chances.

Carlow kicked off into Longford’s half with a slight breeze in their favour. Their chase was aggressive and immediately put the Longford receivers under pressure deep in the Longford 22. Longford scrambled to get a set and just did so despite the aggressive opening Carlow attack. The ball was spun back to Ryan McHugh behind his own touchline who needed to clear for touch. 

The towering Carlow No.4 had other ideas however and he launched himself high into the path of the clearance kick and got a full block on the ball. As it spun to the ground it was roulette where it went next but perhaps as an early signal to Longford of how this day was going to go it sat up neatly for the Carlow blocker to touch it down for an opening try which was converted. One minute down, 7-0 down.

That can happen in the opening play of any sport – and when it does you write it off and immediately go again. It was a freak start that the team needed to put behind them. This they did and for the next 10 minutes Longford locked horns and competed hard with what was a very high-quality Carlow team.

 Matters weren’t helped however during this period when Colm Glynn, Longford’s most experienced leader, was forced off due to an injury. Player/Coach Henry Bryce entered the fray for what was going to have to be a longer cameo than was planned.

Carlow were starting to really click into gear now and were launching phase after phase of multi angle running lines that had Longford stretched to cover. 

In the 17th minute one of these phases delivered Carlow’s second try, however the conversion was missed. Score 12-0 as we approached the end of the first quarter. Longford needed a reaction and importantly started to gain a foothold in the game.

 Alistair McCormack had a fine first half both in the loose and out of touch as Longford’s main lineout threat. He was ably assisted by Tom Gilheany, Packie Molloy and Mark McHugh who fought tenaciously at every breakdown.

 However, despite this it was at this juncture that self-inflicted errors began to creep in through the team with an escalating number of lineouts lost and penalty kicks for touch falling short. Longford were wasting hard fought momentum opportunities and giving Carlow soft escapes.

Longford did however execute a superb phase of play on 26 minutes that caught Carlow unawares. 

From a lineout Longford launched a textbook driving maul just inside the Carlow half and rumbled forward for 15 metres at a pace Carlow couldn’t deal with. 

The referee finally raised his hand to signal a rare penalty to the visitors due to Carlow collapsing. Longford kicked to the corner, lost the ensuing lineout and Carlow cleared to halfway. If ever a 2-minute phase reflected how things were going so far this was it – pure frustration.

 However, Carlow weren’t for easing and on 36 minutes countered a Longford missed touch to devastating effect. They rumbled over as the half time whistle approached for a converted try. Score 19-0 at the break.

Longford shuffled the backline at halftime with Diarmuid Masterson introduced and several positional changes made.

 The second half started with more self-inflicted hardship however as Alistair McCormack was shown a straight yellow card for an infringement at the breakdown on 42 minutes. 

To add injury to insult, the unfortunate John Geelan took a heavy knock on 44 minutes that saw one of Longford’s toughest competitors this season forced to retire. Longford really had to dig in now and somehow stem the flow of an increasingly confident Carlow side. 

To their credit, Longford hung in with big defensive displays on show from every man on the field. Up front Podge Farrell at Loose Head Prop took no step back and put in a huge effort both in scrum and open play.

However, it was Seamus McKeown at Tight Head who perhaps went even a step further with a colossal, player of the match performance that showed just why he is so highly thought of by those involved at Longford Rugby Club. He was ferocious throughout - fearless in contact, relentless in the tackle and ruck - and solid was a rock in the scrum. He has a huge future in the game.

Longford needed to get something going now, and on 60 minutes Henry Bryce made a trademark break from his 22 and reached the halfway line with a typically aggressive carry. The ball was spun quickly wide to Danny McHugh, restored to his favoured Outhalf position, who launched a superb second wave swiftly through the backs. 

Joe McGowan took the ball on the line at full tilt and made a remarkable run – evading several tacklers and making serious yardage. Just as it looked like he was caught he slipped the final defender and the road to the try line was somehow still open. He made it for one of the standout tries of the season and Ryan McHugh slotted a beauty of a conversion from the touchline. Score 19-7.

Longford had found their groove and were now the dominant force as a shaken Carlow visibly wilted. Longford launched wave after wave of attack and were unlucky to be held up at the Carlow line on several occasions. 

On 66 minutes Longford were awarded a penalty from which another driving maul was launched at the Carlow line. Henry Bryce took matters into his own hands and crashed over for a hard-earned team try. The difficult conversion was however missed. Score 19-12 with 14 minutes to go.

Despite some excellent phases of play from Longford in the closing stages, the Carlow fortifications proved impenetrable and they held out for the win – albeit with the fright of their lives as Longford made them sweat right to the final whistle.

So, a disappointing loss but a losing bonus point was secured against a very tough hand of cards dealt to the team on the day. This could yet prove crucial as the final 3 games of the Leinster League approach. With a full complement of players back and a well-earned rest after 3 successive physical weekends of rugby, this team has still plenty to believe in.

 LONGFORD: 1 – P Farrell, 2– M McHugh, 3 – S McKeown, 4 D Geelan, 5 J Geelan, 6 A McCormack, 7 T Gilheany, 8 PMolloy, 9 R Shaw, 10 D McHugh, 11 C Casey, 12 C Glynn, 13 R McHugh, 14 D Connolly, 15 J McGowan,  16 R Collum, 17 P Prunty, 18 K Rodgers, 19 H Bryce, 20 D Masterson. 

Three league fixtures remaining

Despite a spirited second half, Longford came up short against Carlow. In a further twist, despite taking a losing bonus point, the away results for both teams just above Longford mean that we remain bottom of the table, without closing the gap.  Longford’s 3 remaining league fixtures, 2 of which are at home, are all the more critical to our survival in Division 1B. Next up is a home fixture against Tullow on Sunday February 19.