Longford SFC: Granard conquer Slashers and now meet Killoe

Darren Gallagher on the ball for St Mary’s Granard in facing the challenge of Longford Slashers opponent Garreth McQuaid. Action from the SFC Group B Round 5 clash at Keenan Park in Ardagh Photo: Syl Healy | Syl Healy

placeholder image — Darren Gallagher on the ball for St Mary’s Granard in facing the challenge of Longford Slashers opponent Garreth McQuaid. Action from the SFC Group B Round 5 clash at Keenan Park in Ardagh Photo: Syl Healy | Syl Healy

Peter Hanley Motors Senior Football Championship Group B - Round 5

St Mary’s Granard . . . 0-16 Longford Slashers . . . 0-10

Granard registered their third win in the group stage of the Senior Football Championship and now meet the title holders Killoe in the quarter-final in a couple of weeks time.

While the comfortable margin of six points separated the sides in the finish at Keenan Park, Slashers were guilty of shooting a total of 12 wides (including 3 two-pointer territory frees) as compared to just 6 for the more economical St Mary’s team who kept the scoreboard ticking over.

Trailing by 0-10 to 0-3 at the break following a poor first half display, it was always going to be a real uphill battle for Conor Clarke’s side on the changeover and so it proved as the slick Granard outfit consolidated their grip on the game.

Slashers will certainly have to improve a lot if they are to have any chance of springing a surprise against the unbeaten Group A table toppers Abbeylara in the quarter-final at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Saturday week, September 12th.

St Mary’s, on the other hand, are facing a tough task against Killoe which is their reward for finishing second in Group B.

While Pat Flanagan’s charges had a goal disallowed in the 47th minute for a foul on a Slashers player in a scramble, an exciting end could have materialised with substitute Tadhg McNevin going close to finding the back of the net in the closing minutes.

ST MARY’S GRANARD: Reece Small; Patrick McGivney, Tom Kearney, Dylan Reilly; Liam Sullivan, Paul Smyth, Sean Corcoran; Darren Gallagher (0-2), David Callaghan (0-1); Eoin O’Hara (0-3), Jamie Brady Hynes (0-3, 1 free), Aaron Smyth; Jakub Powalaski, Cian O’Donnell (0-4, 1 two-pointer free, 1 free, 1 play), Michael Hynes (0-3).

Subs:- Jordan Shiels for C O’Donnell (injured, 30 mins); Harry Kiernan for J Powalaski (47 mins); Edward Smyth for A Smyth (57 mins).

LONGFORD SLASHERS: Eoin McGuinness; Paddy Duggan, Ronan Sheahan snr (0-1), Ronan Kenny; Peter Lynn (0-2, two-pointer from play), Sean Morgan (0-1), Micheal Mulcahy; Barry Gilleran, Ben Lynn; Sean Tiernan, Sean Clarke (0-2, 1 free), Ronan Sheahan jnr (0-1); Darragh O’Connell (0-1), Daire O’Brien, Davy O’Brien.

Subs:- Billy Maguire for B Lynn (injured, first half stoppage time); Robbie Clarke (0-1, free) for Davy O’Brien (36 mins); Garreth McQuaid and Tadhg McNevin for S Tiernan and D O’Connell (both in the 46th minute); James Shannon (0-1) for Daire O’Brien (54 mins).

Referee: Mark Glancy (Rathcline).

Senior Football Championship Quarter-Finals

Abbeylara v Longford Slashers

Dromard v Colmcille

Killoe Emmet Og v St Mary’s Granard

Ardagh Moydow v Clonguish

The games will be played in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on the weekend of the 12th/13th September.

Semi-Finals Pairings

Clonguish or Ardagh Moydow v Colmcille or Dromard

Abbeylara or Longford Slashers v Killoe Emmet Og or St Mary’s Granard