Longford suffer slender defeat against Offaly in Leinster Minor Championship exit
Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Football Championship Group 1 - Round 3
Offaly . . . 1-11 Longford . . . 1-10
Tony Devlin’s side were thrown a lifeline when Offaly full-back Patrick Kenna had the misfortune of punching the ball into his own net in the 49th minute and when the visitors gradually got back on level terms (1-10 to 1-10) they looked the likely winners.
Offaly finished with 14 men after midfielder Cillian Bourke picked up a second yellow card in the 59th minute but they then engineered the winning point when their best forward Kaelem Bryan fired the ball over the bar.
After losing all three games in the group stage, Longford make their exit from the provincial championship but there is still some more football to be played as they now concentrate on the consolation Seamus Heaney Cup confined to the teams who fail to qualify for the semi-finals.
Longford play Westmeath in the first round of the Seamus Heaney Cup at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Wednesday evening next, May 10, throw-in 7pm.
SCORERS - OFFALY: Fionn Carney (3f) and Kaelem Bryan 0-4 each, Robert Carney 1-0, Mark Mulrooney, Brian Carroll and Cian Bracken 0-1 each.
SCORERS- LONGFORD: Kevin Baskett 0-4 (2f), Shane Donoghue 0-3, Daniel Carey, Patrick Mollahan (f) and Luke Donnelly 0-1 each. Note: Goal was an own score by Offaly defender Patrick Kenna.
OFFALY: Donnacha Keoghan; Niall Flannery, Patrick Kenna, Harry Goulding; Rory Grehan, Christian McKeon, Cameron Egan; Cillian Bourke, Mark Mulrooney; Brian Carroll, Cian Bracken, Fionn Carney; Kaelem Bryan, Robert Carney, Cillian Foran.
Subs:- Aaron Molloy for R Grehan (51 mins); Dara Bates for C Foran (51 mins); Callum Kelly for M Mulrooney (56 mins); Enda McLoughlin for Robert Carney (61 mins).
LONGFORD: Darragh Egan (Carrickedmond); Ryan Keogh (Killoe), Patrick Clancy (Killashee), Daniel Lee (Killoe); Kevin Baskett (Clonguish), Alex Nugent (Mostrim), Jack Fitzpatrick (Killoe); Shane Donohoe (Killoe), Sean Egan (Carrickedmond); Jamie Dorr (Clonguish), Daniel Carey (Clonguish), Marc Cooney (Clonguish); Patrick Mollahan (Killashee), Davin Donnelly (Killoe), James Hagan (Clonguish).
Subs:- Cormac Flynn (Clonguish) for J Fitzpatrick (half-time); Luke Donnelly (Dromard) for D Donnelly (half-time); Conor Doherty (Killoe) for M Cooney (37 mins); Tommy Killian (Killashee) for P Clancy (37 mins); Paul Eivers (Killoe) for J Hagan (50 mins).
Referee: Enda Kelly (Westmeath).