Longford minors topple Tipperary in the Seamus Heaney Cup and now take on Laois
All-Ireland Minor (U-17) ‘C’ Football Championship Preliminary Quarter-Final
The Longford U-17 footballers made the trip to the JK Brackens club grounds in Templemore to take on Tipperary in the All-Ireland Minor ‘C’ Championship on Saturday last.
Longford . . . 1-16 Tipperary . . . 1-9
Building on a strong display against Dublin in the last round fixture in the group stage of the Leinster Championship, Longford started their bid to retain the Seamus Heaney Cup. Favoured by a strong breeze in the preliminary quarter-final, it was the home team who struck first with a 2 pointer from Jack Donnelly.
Longford's first two attacks ended with wides and it was in the 7th minute when Daire Toher pointed. This was followed by an Oren McNerney point and on 15 minutes a 2 pointer from Senan Buckley.
Pressure from Tipperary led to them striking the crossbar on 20 minutes before Conor O’Meara scored a fine goal to put Tipp 1-4 to 0-4 ahead.
Longford responded well to this setback with Eoin Beattie scoring a brace of pointers from play followed by Senan Buckley capitalising on a mistake in the Tipp defence to plant the ball in the net to leave the visitors leading by 1-8 to 1-4 at the break.
Tipp started strong in the second half with Niall O’Donnell from a free Longford's only scorer in the third quarter as the home side reduced the deficit to a single point.
However, Longford regained control with 3 points from play from Leon Madden, another 2 pointer and a free from Senan Buckley and another Eoin Beattie point clinching a fine win as the county minors now look forward to a home game against Laois in the last eight fixture at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Saturday, throw-in 11.30pm.
LONGFORD: Jack Cassidy; Sean Hagan, Sean Finlass, Shane Hannify; Brayden Francis, Oisin McHugh, Jack O’Farrell; Robert Rowan, Eoin Beattie (0-5); Oren McNerney (0-1), Niall O’Donnell (0-1), Daire Toher (0-1); Connor Shannon, Senan Buckley (1-5), Leon Madden (0-3).
Subs used:- Ruairi Gibbons for Hannify; Ruairi Flynn for Shannon; James McEnroe for Toher; Mark Keegan for McNerney; David Rowan for Madden.