Longford v Kerry

[panc56]

Well then.........have LD any hope? The great weekend that we had in 2006 in Killarney will live long in the memory but Donaghy in the first 15 mins destroyed us and the Star was born. Otherwise we gave a right good account of ourselves. For next week who knows , the LD team is much the same as back then but the have gone back. It will be a packed ground 20,000 or so with a great atmosphere and sure we have nothing to loose. Dubs just escaped from it and Derry got caught out!If your from Kerry book your accomodation early..........we dont have that much of it

http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/routes_classic/route.asp

[Shamrock Shore]

I can't see the b&bs overwhelmed the way we invaded Killarney in 2006.

I hope we can give them a good rattle. Panc56 is correct in that the long lad killed us that day but I will never forget seeing Paul Barden skin the Pony on numerous occasions. 4-11 to 1-11 if I recall correctly.

Maybe the cameras will be there. Does Ireland really need to watch another Ulster dogfight?

[rrhf]

What is the furthest the kingdom have ever been asked to travel for a qualifier,  they'll do anything but give them an ulster team.  I remember the rehabilitation of the dubs a few years ago, didnt they get Longford, Leitrim, London, Lavey and Louth before they got to the semifinals.    

[panc56]

I think the furthst they have travelled is Croke Park.....our game at the weekend was quite tough , they put alot into it. Fitness may kill us

[Billys Boots]

What's the furthest Tyrone have travelled in a qualifier?

What's the daftest conspiracy theory this Monday?

Anyhow, Longford are not in the shape they were in for the last match-up - our weakest link that year was the fullback line (and it proved to be so in Killarney).  This year we've no midfield and our forwards will thus struggle to get any decent possession.

Though they did beat Kerry on their last trip to the Battery Road. 

[rrhf]

wexford

[Longfordian]

was in Kerry at the weekend actually (cycling the ring ! ) we got wind that Kerry were training and wandered down to have a look only to find a closed session ! ...no spectators allowed ! .....

By all accounts ...Kerry have received the proverbial shoe up the you know what and are training like demons ! , however with unfamiliar soirroundings and a partisan corwd ..... you never know !

got tickets for the Boss ...or Longford v Kerry ....what would Jesus do ?  

[Billys Boots]

wexford

Eh, the Omagh to New Ross trip is 10 miles shorter than Killarney to Dublin.

[Shamrock Shore]

got tickets for the Boss ...or Longford v Kerry ....what would Jesus do ?

Jesus could probably do both tbf.

I'd head for the Boss. You can get text updates from Pearse Park or get an iPhone 3G that can tune into Shiteside using a wee application called Wunderradio.

[Billys Boots]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/lynch-goal-stuns-kerry-182774.html

Lynch goal stuns Kerry, Monday February 02 2004 (we should pray for bad weather)

LONGFORD 3-7
KERRY 1-12

Division 1A
BACK in Division One for the first time in 30 years, Longford certainly made their mark on their return to the top flight by scoring a shock win in front of an enthusiastic 3,500 attendance at Pearse Park.

Although forced to start without their injured midfielder Darragh Ó Sé, the Munster champions were almost at full strength and looked set to give new manager Jack O'Connor a winning start when surging into a three point lead with time running out.

However, newly promoted Longford showed great character in the atrocious conditions with their never-say-die attitude.

And after Pádraig Davis narrowed the gap when converting a close-range free, the game dragged on into the fifth minute of stoppage time before debut boy Stephen Lynch fisted a dramatic winning goal in the last attack of this gripping contest.

Longford dominated the closing stages and after Kerry survived a couple of lucky escapes, Lynch found the back of the net after a piledriver from David Blessington came back off the underside of the crossbar.

Seconds later Armagh referee Jimmy McKee blew the final whistle to leave Longford celebrating a famous victory over Kerry - their first time to beat the Kingdom since 1972 when they sprang a big surprise in the Division 1 game at Tralee.

The sides were level 1-4 to 1-4 each at half-time. Longford had made a dream start with a fisted goal from captain Paul Barden after only 30 seconds.

Kerry looked hot favourites to win with wind advantage in the second half, but Longford were strengthened when a close range shot from sub Trevor Smullen was finished to the net by Paul Barden with five minutes gone in the second half.

A real ding-dong battle developed from there until the finish, particularly when Kerry were reduced to 14-men when Tom O'Sullivan was shown a straight red card with 12 minutes gone in the second half following a foul on David Barden.

While Kerry scored a total of eight points on the changeover - three from impressive sub Ronan O'Connor - it was not enough to deny determined Longford.

SCORERS - Longford: P Barden 2-0, P Davis 0-5 (4f, '45'), S Lynch 1-0, D Barden, L Keenan 0-1 each. Kerry: D Ó Cinnéide 0-3 (2f, '45'), R O'Connor 0-3, D Sullivan 1-0, T Ó Sé, S Moynihan, P Galvin, D Quill, MF Russell, M Ó Sé 0-1 each.

LONGFORD - D Sheridan; S Carroll, C Conefrey, A O'Connor; E Ledwith, D Hannify, S Lynch; L Keenan, F Coyle; D Blessing, M Kelly, P Barden; D Barden, N Sheridan, P Davis. Subs: T Smullen for Sheridan (27), P Dowd for Kelly (31 inj), M Hussey for Dowd (60), M Mulleady for O'Connor (66).

KERRY - D O'Keeffe; B Guiney, M McCarthy, T O'Sullivan; T Ó Sé, E Fitzmaurice, S Moynihan; S Scanlon, T Griffin; P Galvin, D O'Sullivan, E Brosnan; D Quill, D Ó Cinnéide, MF Russell. Subs: R O Connor for Quill (43), M Ó Sé for Griffin (51), L Hassett for Russell (57), J Crowley for Brosnan (74).

REF - J McKee (Armagh).

[Billys Boots]

Just found this too.    Although my recollection was that the Galway game followed the win against Dublin.

FIVE OTHER FAMOUS LONGFORD WINS

1966: LONGFORD 0-9 GALWAY 0-8, Croke Park (NFL 'Home' final)
Galway had won the 1964-65 All-Ireland finals and would complete the treble in September 1966 but, five months earlier, a crowd of 45,317 watched Longford, led by captain, Brendan Barden out-point them in a great League final.

1968: LONGFORD 3-9 LAOIS 1-4, Croke Park (Leinster final)
A first and - so far - only Leinster senior title for Longford. Wins over Dublin and Meath set them up for a final clash with Laois which they easily negotiated. A few weeks later they were unlucky against Kerry, losing by two points in the All-Ireland semi-final.

1982: LONGFORD 0-12 MEATH 0-11, Tullamore (Leinster first round)
Championship wins over Meath weren't quite as prestigious back then but it was still quite a scalp for Longford but unfortunately for them, they failed to maintain the momentum in the quarter-final where they lost to Dublin by six points.

1985: LONGFORD 0-18 GALWAY 0-3, Pearse Park (NFL Div 2)
Points by Tomas Tierney, Barry Brennan and Gay McManus represented Galway's miserable retort against a rampant Longford side which won the second half by 0-13 to 0-1. John McCormack (0-6) and Gerry Clarke (0-4) led the Longford scoring charge.

1985: LONGFORD 3-8 DUBLIN 1-11, Croke Park (NFL Div 2)
Two weeks after sinking Galway, Longford beat Dublin for the first time since 1971. Kevin O'Rourke scored 1-3 while John McCormack (1-2) and Dessie Barry (1-1) were also in enterprising form.

[Trevor Hill]

The game is live on TV3, throw in at 5pm.

[A Quinn Martin Production]

C'mon the....what is Longofrd's nickname

[Billys Boots]

You'd have to have been very inattentive not to know that we are the Larries!!

[Shamrock Shore]

Yes - granted by the Chief Herald of the Board, Sir Hardy of Meath, about two years ago.

We are Larries....taken from Longford, nay Mullinalaghta's, favourite son, Larry Cunningham (see my avatar).

We will gladly take Kerry out of the loop next Sat eve