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Final:

Abbeylara v Colmcille, Sun 4pm

Odds:

Paddy Power (https://www.paddypower.com/gaelic-games/longford-club-football?tab=outrights):

Colmcille 15/2 9/1 8/1 17/2 4/1 5/6
Abbeylara 20/1 14/1 8/1 10/1 9/1 11/2 5/6

BoyleSports (https://www.boylesports.com/sports/gaa/outrights):

Abbeylara 25/1 16/1 12/1 9/1 10/1 11/2 9/2 4/5
Colmcille 9/1 12/1 10/1 9/1 3/1 10/11

I did say at the start of the championship that:

Insofar as anyone outside those two might make an impact, the prices for Abbeylara strike me as being absolutely crazy and they're likely to be there or thereabouts when it comes to the semi-finals

and I suppose I shouldn't be really surprised that they're now in the final but I was unimpressed by them in every match where I saw them up to the semi-final due to their clear weakness in converting chances (and that applies to our own game against them where they should have been out the door). What they are good at (and they share this with Colmcille) is in stifling their opponents so today is likely to be both a close and a low-scoring match and is probably not going to be one for the neutral connoisseur. Colmcille have better prospects up front but their potential weaknesses are that they've been playing all year in Division 2 against very weak opposition (which certainly showed in their first match against Killoe) and their group was much more stratified and less competitive than Abbeylara's.

Almost impossible to call, but the bookies might just have it right in giving the narrowest of narrow edges to Abbeylara.

Hard luck Laurel. Ye had a lot to contend with this year and still were only a kick of a ball away from a final.
I didn't get to see the game. Were you impressed with Colmcille?

I was too preoccupied and too "in the moment" to actually appreciate it at the time as a game; I'll look at it later on Cl*bb*r when I'm a little less depressed . As I said, my real impression is that while they were the stronger team overall, we missed a lot of chances - some due to the wind - and failed to take advantage of the nine-minute period with the extra man or the defensive errors that Colmcille made at the very, very end.

Well done Mostrim. Great win after waiting around a good few weeks to play.

Things have spiralled downwards very quickly for Carrickedmond. Their performances in the group stages warranted another year at Senior level, but with two going down this year, it made it treacherous for many clubs. At least 3 or 4 other teams were only a game away from ending up in the relegation playoffs.

I'm afraid that their off-field behaviour has left me with absolutely no sympathy for them. (And I'm not referring here to the appeals, which they were entitled to do even if the cause was always hopeless, but to the stuff going on further in the background.)

That saga still hasn't ended

I'm sure it hasn't; but our part in it is over.

Mullinalaghta 1-6 Colmcille 0-11

Too many missing (in part due to factors well beyond our control), and too many missed chances. Weren't able to take advantage of the ten-minute spell with an extra man. Best of luck to Colmcille in the final.

I can't see Killoe not beating Abbey given the latter's seeming inability to score even against as opponents as weak as Rathcline.

Well, I suppose if you do an even worse job of converting chances to your opponents....

Killoe 0-9 Abbeylara 0-10

Bookies' odds will need to be revised.

Well done Mostrim. Great win after waiting around a good few weeks to play.

Things have spiralled downwards very quickly for Carrickedmond. Their performances in the group stages warranted another year at Senior level, but with two going down this year, it made it treacherous for many clubs. At least 3 or 4 other teams were only a game away from ending up in the relegation playoffs.

I'm afraid that their off-field behaviour has left me with absolutely no sympathy for them. (And I'm not referring here to the appeals, which they were entitled to do even if the cause was always hopeless, but to the stuff going on further in the background.)

Semi-finals:

Killoe v Abbeylara, Sat 5.15pm
Mullinalaghta v Colmcille, Sun 4pm

Odds:

Paddy Power (https://www.paddypower.com/gaelic-games/longford-club-football?tab=outrights):

Killoe 9/4 2/1 15/8 11/10 4/5
Mullinalaghta 10/3 9/2 7/2 11/2 10/3
Colmcille 15/2 9/1 8/1 17/2 4/1
Abbeylara 20/1 14/1 8/1 10/1 9/1 11/2

BoyleSports (https://www.boylesports.com/sports/gaa/outrights):

Killoe 11/8 Evens 5/6
Colmcille 9/1 12/1 10/1 9/1 3/1
Abbeylara 25/1 16/1 12/1 9/1 10/1 11/2 9/2
Mullinalaghta 7/2 4/1 5/1 6/1 5/1

Given that Paddy Power have Colmcille as favourites to win on Sunday I'm not sure where they're getting the whole "Mullinalaghta as second favourites" thing from. I can't see Killoe not beating Abbey given the latter's seeming inability to score even against as opponents as weak as Rathcline.

Mostrim hopefully will dispatch the whingers down to Intermediate tonight.

Longford Senior Hurling Final

Wolfe Tones 2-15 Longford Slashers 3-10

The Ballygunner of Edgeworthstown continue their local dominance. Congrats to Shamrock Shore and The Insider.

It seems like the momentum is finally going out of the Carrick appeal.

Although there appears to be a sub plot developing with Granard making an appeal. I hope all can move forward and get the championship finished. Everyone has had enough!

I think there's a case by this stage to simply divide the county along either the N4 or the Clondra-Longford-Ballinalee-Granard axis and annex the respective halves to Cavan and Westmeath respectively. Both counties are big enough for the venom and spleen dominating Longford football at the moment to be diluted to harmlessness.

Longford CCC win their appeal.

Longford CCC appeal to CAC tomorrow evening.

David returned last week having been away for the group stages.

Colmcille deserving winners over ourselves. Struggled to deal with their defensive system and our inexperienced showed. I think Colmcille might well take out Mullinalaghta. Sorry Laurel.

Mullinalaghta did well to edge the win over Granard and got the vital scores near the end when needed. Colmcille and Columba's renew their local rivalry again.

Lookit, if you'd offered me a semi-final spot at the start of the year when we had half a team in Australia and a chunk of the rest carrying long-term injuries, or midway through the league when it looked as if we were facing relegation, or even offered it to me after our first two games in the group stage, I'd have taken your hand off for it. At this point, anything is a bonus, especially given the constant drumbeat of off-field crap. I have absolutely no expectations for the Colmcille game given that we've been playing in fits and starts all year.

Mullinalaghta 1-15 Granard 1-14
Abbeylara 0-10 Rathcline 1-5

We'll take the win on the day given all the crap going on over the last few weeks.

Killoe strong favourites and Killoe-Colmcille the most likely final.