Longford overcome Carlow to qualify for the knockout stage of the Leinster U-20 championship
Semi-final spot at stake at home to Meath at Allen Park next Wednesday
While Longford are through to the knockout stage of the Dalata Hotel Group Leinster U-20 Football Championship, it was only when they scored their second goal that they gradually began to assert their superiority over Carlow in the Round 2 fixture at Allen Park in Newtownforbes on Wednesday night.
Longford . . . 2-20 Carlow . . . 1-13
Leading by 1-9 to 1-6 at the break with the goal coming from a penalty converted by Cormac Flynn in the 24th minute, the umpires deemed that a powerful shot from Luke Donnelly had crossed the line with four minutes gone on the changeover despite a brave block by a Carlow defender.
That left Longford leading by 2-10 to 1-8 and they played some fine football to register another 10 points on the way to a comprehensive win in the end with the impressive Donnelly converting a second two-pointer free in his 1-5 total.
James Hagan, with five points to his credit during the course of the match, also made a major impact while Paddy Mollaghan was another constant threat in a sharp attack in firing over four points - the first of which clipped the crossbar in almost yielding a goal in the 22nd minute of the first half.
Longford play their remaining group fixture against Meath at Allen Park next Wednesday (7.30pm) and should they manage to score a third consecutive victory then a place in the semi-finals will be guaranteed with the losers of the top of the table clash contesting a quarter-final.
LONGFORD: Darragh Egan (Carrickedmond); Alex Nugent (Mostrim), Ronan Burke (Ballymahon), Mark Cooney (Clonguish); Conor McHugh (Grattans, 0-1), Colin Gilna (Abbeylara), William McEntire (Dromard, 0-1); Daniel Galvin (Kenagh), Shane Donohoe (Killoe Emmet Og); Peter Farrell (Grattans, 0-2), Jamie Dorr (Clonguish, 0-1), Luke Donnelly (Colmcille, 1-5, brace of two-pointer frees); James Hagan (Clonguish, 0-5, 1 free), Paddy Mollaghan (St Brigid’s Killashee, 0-4, 1 free), Cormac Flynn (Clonguish, 1-1, goal from penalty).
Subs:- Max Gallagher (Ardagh Moydow) for D Galvin (30 mins); Alan Mimnagh (Clonguish) for W McEntire (37 mins); Sean Fagan (Abbeylara) for P Farrell (49 mins); Sean Egan (Carrickedmond) for C Gilna (54 mins); Cian O’Donnell (St Mary’s Granard) for S Donohoe (54 mins).
CARLOW: Conal McGuire; Ryan Donnelly-Finn, Ross Moran, Daire Byrne; Fiach Byrne, Eoin Myers, Rory McCaffrey; Ben Curry, Callum Crawford (0-1); Daniel Bolger, Jake Nolan (0-5, brace of two-pointers from play), Mark Buggy (0-1, free); Jamie Coakley (1-0), Ian Craddock, Eoin Ryan (0-4, 1 free).
Subs:- Marc Mulhall (0-2, two-pointer from play) for I Craddock (43 mins); Lorcan O’Connor for R McCaffrey (47 mins); Sam McHugh for R Donnelly-Finn (49 mins); Jacob Curran for J Coakley (52 mins); Ryan Fitzgerald for J Nolan (56 mins).
Referee: Colm McCullough (Louth).