Longford Football (& Hurling) Thread

[Shamrock Shore]

A last minute goal gives 14 man Mullinalaghta the Intermediate championship.

Final score: St. Columbas 1-10 Kenagh 2-06.

Congrats to Laureleye and all the good folk in Mullinalaghta

Edit - it was actually 13 man Mullinalaghta as the lad who scored the last minute goal was sent off after his did a Ryan Giggs and tore off the jersey in celebration. The ref, of course, should be shot.

[LaurelEye]

A last minute goal gives 14 man Mullinalaghta the Intermediate championship.

Final score: St. Columbas 1-10 Kenagh 2-06.

Congrats to Laureleye and all the good folk in Mullinalaghta

Edit - it was actually 13 man Mullinalaghta as the lad who scored the last minute goal was sent off after his did a Ryan Giggs and tore off the jersey in celebration. The ref, of course, should be shot.

Nope. 14-man Mullinalaghta it finished up. But 14-man Kayna as well.

The player who got sent off was from the other crowd and he got the line for playfully putting the jersey round his marker's neck...

After which point we got the ball back in a surging run up the field involving several players and bulldozed into the goal by a member of the extended Eye clan

[gortnaleck]

Congratulations on a great win.It was a pity the other half of the parish could not have pulled off the double.Of course i am expecting a full report in due course

[Shamrock Shore]

Got my wires crossed on the sending off. Shame about Gowna but, there ya go.

[Billys Boots]

Great stuff Laureleye - congrats from the neighbours.  Sounds like a very tight and (ahem) unusual finish. 

[Billys Boots]

Big two-page write-up on Sunday Indo yesterday about the county final - looks like the Swampies are investing big-time in restoring their reputations as human beings.

[North Longford]

Big two-page write-up on Sunday Indo yesterday about the county final

My imploring the heavens for intervention didn't work either

Watched the DVD of the game and my thoughts on Rocky didn't change much. In general would still say he was midlin but nearly all of the bad decisions he made seemed to go against us. Most glaring were 2 21 yard frees we should have gotten in the first half for fouls on Padaig Murtagh by Noel Reynolds and on Tommy Doyle by Padraig Jones. They are 2 of the incidents I remebered from the game and they even seem more obvious on the DVD.
One I didn't notice at the time was the lead up to the their goal. After Declan Reilly loses the ball it is played to Peter Masterson who proceeds to take 9 steps as he evades a challenge from Enda farrell then hops and solos and runs straight into Declan Reilly who has got back in front of him. Masterson actually turns his shoulrder to hit Reilly in the chest. Reilly falls and Enda Farrell comes in behind Masterson and a free is awarded against him (Actually very hard to see for what). It is the most blatant bit of charging you could imagine and Rocky is about 10 feet away. Masterson jumps up lorries the ball towards the goals and the rest is history!
Anyway it's done now and he didn't kick the 10 wides for us so he's not totally to blame!!!!

[Billys Boots]

My imploring the heavens for intervention didn't work either

Didn't realise the picture was yourself - looked like you were praying for rain. 

[LaurelEye]

Great stuff Laureleye - congrats from the neighbours.  Sounds like a very tight and (ahem) unusual finish. 

Rough sequence of events - more careful analysis will have to await seeing the video:

Went two up from Kevin Mulligan at the beginning, they then drew even with two frees from Ganly, then we took control again for the remainder of the half but didn't put enough on the scoreboard and went in 0-6 to 0-2 up at half time.

On the start we didn't assert control in the way that we did the last day and conceded a point and then a goal to leave the match square after 10 minutes. 20 minutes of nip and tuck, with them going ahead, us drawing even, then them going ahead again. Went two points down with about ten minutes left to go when the man who we were substituting at the time (his replacement had been signalled and was on the field) clocked his opposing marker - the two had been niggling during the game earlier - on the way out and got sent off. Down to 14 men with the replacement having to leave the field. Thought we were dead at that stage.

First resurrection. The shock of the lost player seemed to galvanise the remainder and we drew level again and then went a point ahead. Then, going into stoppage time, disaster strikes. A free given against us, a Mullinalaghta back leaves his marker far too much space, and their leading forward is able to bear down on the goalkeeper who can do next to nothing about it. Two points down and about two minutes left. Dead again.

The Kenagh forward, having scored the goal, does a soccer-style celebration, going over to his home support on the hill, and takes off the jersey, and then proceeds to drape it round his marker's neck. Referee not amused and issues a red card. Kenagh are distracted for the kickout, ball goes through a number of players before ending up with the centre-back who'd given too much space for the goal, who ploughs through the Kenagh defence, and suddenly the ball is in the net. One point ahead.

Second resurrection. Only seconds of stoppage time left to go. Kickout happens and goes to the stand side of the field. Mullinalaghta manage to get it, time expires, and the referee blows for full time. Mullinalaghta invade the pitch as Kenagh players lie prostrate on the pitch. Celebrations continuing ever since.

The End.

[Shamrock Shore]

Was talking to Auld Shore earlier and he said the last 2 minutes or so was the best craic he has ever witnessed on a football pitch.

Pure unadultereted mayhem.

[LaurelEye]

Was talking to Auld Shore earlier and he said the last 2 minutes or so was the best craic he has ever witnessed on a football pitch.

Pure unadultereted mayhem.

Not in the tunnel sense, we hasten to add...

[Billys Boots]

the last 2 minutes or so was the best craic he has ever witnessed on a football pitch

I am genuinely sorry to have missed it.  Did ye get any sleep yet in the half-parish?

[LaurelEye]

the last 2 minutes or so was the best craic he has ever witnessed on a football pitch

I am genuinely sorry to have missed it.  Did ye get any sleep yet in the half-parish?

I had to be at work yesterday by 2 and have an 11 o'clock start this morning so I've had to behave myself.

When I left Keogh's at 4am on Monday morning our goalscorer and our captain were engaging in a "You the man!.... No, no, you the man!" routine at the bar counter which seemed to have plenty of energy left in it still.

For all I know, they may be there yet..

[Billys Boots]

"You the man!.... No, no, you the man!" routine

I can genuinely say I'm not sorry to have missed that. 

[LaurelEye]

"You the man!.... No, no, you the man!" routine

I can genuinely say I'm not sorry to have missed that. 

It had its subtle charms but you'd need to know the individuals concerned to really appreciate it...

You could say the same about the semi-streak, conducted at walking pace, through Kyne's by one of our forwards. I hope for his own sake he was wearing shoes

For the older set, Jody Sheridan led a few fine renditions above in Keogh's.

Sign of the week was a Campbell's can mockup at the head of the Eye ancestral lane in Toome: "Mullinalaghta for the Cup - Kenagh for the Soup".

Andy Warhol comes to Mullinalaghta...

Might get a few photos up later...

BTW, we had a few visitors from Colmcille later on in the night.