Leinster SFC Westmeath V Longford

[thejuice]

Well done Longford, heard it on the radio, best of luck against Laoisin a few weeks time

[magickingdom]

anyone know when a team last turned around an eight point deficit at half time in a football championship game? that was some going

[Rossfan]

Well done Longford - one of our  nicer neighbours

[Billys Boots]

I don't know how it looked on the telly, but the game was all about the wind (strangely Brian Carthy didn't mention it on the radio report).  It was clear from early on (to me anyway) that it would be a game of two halves.

I began to relax a little when Declan Reilly was put on Dolan, and the stream of points against Longford was stemmed a bit.  Barden's (Junior) introduction was good for Longford - he provided a better attacking threat on the 14, and it took Keane's influence out of WH's building attacks.  I felt we were pulling away at the final whistle, and WH couldn't cope effectively with the wind in their faces at all.

MOTM, Paddy Dowd I guess, with honourable mentions for Reilly, Barden Senior and Kavanagh.

[Shamrock Shore]

Some turnaround to be sure. I thought the Longford 5th point before ht gave a wee glimmer of hope but really I was mega depressed at half time.

Kavanagh's goals obviously were the turning point. The blow of Keenan going off at half time was compensated by Mrs. Barden's youngest who was industrious. Paddt Dowd and Paul Barden were class in 2nd half. And isn't it great to be able to being on the likes of Poggie Davis to calm the waters and get some vital scores.

Game v Laois in Longford as Tullamore is not yet ready for serious competition. There was a revised draw in Leinster the other night re venues and Longford won the toss for home venue had they won (for the record WH lost their toss so had they won today they'd be off to Portlaoise)

As it is we are there on June 2 with a game under the belt and home advantage. If we can tighten the full back line (Beano and Ross   ) we can pull off a famous victory.

And Hardy, I'm glad the bet came good. Looked shite at half-time!

Congrats to Luke et al.

[Onlooker]

A very good win for Longford, although it did not look likely at half time.   I saw Longford playing Tipperary last year and was most impressed with their forward line and I had a fancy for them to win to-day.   If they have home advantage against Laois it should be a very interesting game.

[Hardy]

And Hardy, I'm glad the bet came good. Looked shite at half-time!

The bet came good OK but in a fit of madness I lumped the winnings on Down at 7/4. Looked like great value until Mickey McFumble did his thing. Thanks Mickey.

Great stuff from Longford. It was like supporting Meath of old. It was very encouraging how they sorted out their defence to completely neutralise Dessie and Glennon, though I thought the switches were a long time coming. To hold the swamp lads to 3 second half points was excellent, even allowing for the wind. And Brian Kavanagh's haul of 2-6 was outstanding.

[thejuice]

anyone know when a team last turned around an eight point deficit at half time in a football championship game? that was some going

Werent Meath down by 9 points at have time in the Leinster quater final in 2001, who was that against..........?

[Tatler Jack]

Well done to my neighbours across Lough Ree. Did a doouble - Longford to win and Cavan/Down a draw. Got 93.75 for my 5 euro.

[North Longford]

Delighted with the win. Thought the sloppy goal might have killed us as with the wind a 4 or 5 point deficit seemed manageable.
A few lads really stepped up in the second half. Thought Reilly was immense on Dolan, Dowd must have ran a marathon and the lads up front did the business.
A mention to masterson as well who did very well on glennon in the second half and recovered well from his error.

[Shamrock Shore]

Has internet access been cut in Westmeath?

No comments, views, analysis or, God forbid, even an auld bit of congratulations?

[Billys Boots]

Just in case they don't get the Indo either.!! 

Kavanagh goals spark amazing revival by Longford

Monday May 14th 2007

Longford 2-13

Westmeath 1-13

Leinster SFC

A FIRST win in the Leinster championship for six years, a recovery which will take some beating for the comeback of the season award and a defiant statement of intent about their growing ambitions left Longford wondering if cloud nine is actually the highest state of euphoria in the sporting firmament.

Luke Dempsey's crew had galloped for the Pearse Park dressing-rooms in a bewildered procession at half-time, with the fires of a hellishly inept performance scorching their heels but somehow, somewhere they located a heavenly sense of inspiration that transformed them in the second half.

They out-scored Westmeath by 2-8 to 0-3 in the second half to not only wipe out the eight-point interval deficit but to leave themselves with three to spare in a highly entertaining game which, if replicated over the coming weeks, augurs well for the Leinster championship.

A small but loyal band of Westmeath supporters hung around outside the dressing-rooms afterwards to cheer the players onto the team bus but they - no more than the team and management - were numbed by what had unfolded.

Longford lined up for the second half with a strong wind behind them, but on the evidence of the first half the odds on it creating an environment where they would haul back the 1-10 to 0-5 deficit were long and forbidding.

Apart from a productive burst between the sixth and 13th minutes, Longford were playing very much like a second division side struggling to survive against higher-class opponents.

Denis Glennon, who whipped over the lead point for Westmeath after 20 seconds, and Dessie Dolan scored 0-7 between them from play in a double-act that was reminiscent of the excellence they imposed on Westmeath's successful Leinster campaign in 2004.

The wind helped Westmeath to further raise the momentum, but there was also a crispness to their play which Longford found difficult to fathom.

Luck flowed Westmeath's way too in the 23rd minute when Dolan's under-hit '45' looked unlikely to cause any problem to Longford full-back Diarmuid Masterson, but he knocked the ball to ground, allowing Martin Flanagan to exploit his poaching instincts by flicking to the net. It was a bad error by Masterson but to his great credit he allowed neither that setback nor Dolan's constant menace to unhinge him and he dug his way back with a solid performance in the second half.

Westmeath were 0-4 to 0-0 ahead after four minutes before Longford, giving a hint of what was to come in the second half, kicked four points to draw level by the 13th minute. However, Liam Keenan's leveller was their last score for 24 minutes as rampant Westmeath added another 1-6 without reply.

Effective

With Dolan and Glennon so effective and Flanagan and David O'Shaughnessy winning lots of primary possession at midfield, Westmeath were controlling the game so easily that the lack of thrust among the four other forwards looked like a handicap that wouldn't cause them many problems on this occasion.

However, it was all so different in the second half. With the possession stream drying up, Glennon and Dolan had far fewer opportunities, while their four attacking colleagues drifted further down the efficiency stable. All four - Bannon, Smyth, Wilson and Mangan - were taken off, having failed to land a single point between them from play, which offers a significant clue as to why Westmeath tied up so badly once Longford settled into a powerful rhythm.

That process was helped enormously by Westmeath goalkeeper Gary Connaughton, who attempted to fetch a point effort by David Barden two minutes into the second half. Connaughton is normally an excellent fielder, but on this occasion he knocked the ball into the direction of Brian Kavanagh who flicked it to the net.

Kavanagh's possession lines were cut up so badly against the wind in the first half that he got little opportunity to display his excellence, but he wasted no time after the break, adding a second goal in the 40th minute.

Two points by Paul Barden brought Longford level and set them up for a triumphant march into a quarter-final clash with Laois.

It didn't prove that easy, however. Westmeath heads may have been whirring in confusion but they settled in for a real battle and led twice before Trevor Smullen pointed Longford level again in the 56th minute. And this time they took it as a signal to press on and win the game, a process which accelerated after centre-back David Hanify, back after a two-year championship absence, hoisted them into the lead for the first time in the 58th minute.

Pádraig Davis, cunningly effective in his super-sub role, kicked an excellent point while Kavanagh added two more to which Westmeath's only response was a point from sub John Connellan. They needed a late goal to rescue a desperate situation but by now Longford, for whom Paddy Dowd, named at full-forward but operating energetically all over the field, were strong, united and very definitely not going to squander the riches they had created in that memorable second half.

SCORERS - Longford: B Kavanagh 2-6 (4f), P Barden 0-2 (1f), B McElvaney, T Smullen, L Keenan, D Hanniffy, P Davis 0-1 each. Westmeath: D Dolan 0-5 (1f), D Glennon 0-4, M Flanagan 1-0, F Wilson 0-2 (2f), D O'Shaughnessy, J Connellan 0-1 each.

TEAMS AND PLAYER RATINGS

LONGFORD - D Sheridan 6; D Brady 7, D Masterson 6, DG Reilly 8; S Mulligan 7, D Hanniffy 7, N Farrell 6; B McElvaney 6, L Keenan 7; T Smullen 7, P Barden 7, P Berry 5; K Mulligan 5, P Dowd 8, B Kavanagh 9. Subs: D Barden 7 for Keenan (ht), K Smith 6 for Berry (48), P Davis 7 for K Mulligan (55), E Ledwith 6 for Hanify (60).

WESTMEATH - G Connaughton 5; F Boyle 6, D O'Donoghue 6, J Keane 6; D Healy 7, M Ennis 7, K Gavin 6; M Flanagan 7, D O'Shaughnessy 7; F Wilson 5, J Smyth 5, D Glennon 8; A Mangan 5, D Dolan 8, P Bannon 5. Subs: J Connellan 7 for Bannon (31), G Heavin 5 for Smyth (53), G Glennon 5 for O'Donoghue (62), D Duffy 5 for Wilson (64), G Dolan for Mangan (70).

REF - P McEnaney (Monaghan).

[AZOffaly]

Fair play to ye lads. I thought at half time the goal was going to be the difference between the teams, such a sickener it was. The early goal for yourselves in the 2nd half completely wiped that from the memory banks though, especially coming as it did with Connaughton trying to save points. I thought ye showed good character, and when ye moved the ball fast into Kavanagh, Barden the younger and Davis ye looked very dangerous.

Well done again.

[AZOffaly]

By the way, I thought Marty Morrissey made a show of himself today. He was making out that this was some sort of Shock result. I certainly wouldn't have classed it as anything other than a 50-50 game with Longford having home advantage tipping it their way. Sometimes I really feel Marty hasn't a clue at all at all.

[Billys Boots]

I thought ye showed good character, and when ye moved the ball fast into Kavanagh, Barden the younger and Davis ye looked very dangerous.

The supply routes were slick alright, when we had the wind.  Against the wind, we had nothing at all to offer, which is a bit scary.  Then again, very windy conditions is not usual championship fare?