Heavy defeat in Longford leaves Leitrim hurlers hanging on knife's edge

Leitrim’s hopes of reaching the Allianz NHL Division 3B Semi-Finals hang on the result of next weekend’s clash of Warwickshire and Lancashire after the Green & Gold were outgunned by Longford in a disappointing and poor clash on Saturday in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park.

Leitrim’s cause was not helped by the dismissal of influential midfielder Martin Feeney right on the stroke of halftime, leaving the hurlers four points down and with a mountain to climb but truth be told, Longford were clearly the superior side over the course of the 70 minutes.

With a young side bedding in new players, Olcan Conway’s team has seen their performances fluctuate wildly during this League campaign and after a desperately poor first half where both sides were guilty of some atrocious wides, Longford used the extra man to push on for victory.

Leitrim threatened briefly midway through the half when Joe Murray pounced for a goal to leave just four points between the teams but from there to the finish, the home side outscored the visitors 1-6 to 0-2 to seal their place in the knockout stages.

Longford can qualify directly for the final if they beat leaders Fermanagh next weekend but Leitrim’s full attention will be on the clash of Warwickshire and Lancashire where anything but a win for the Birmingham based exiles would mean Leitrim will qualify for the semi-finals.

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A win for Lancashire would bring them level on points with the Green & Gold but Olcan Conway’s side have the head to head victory meaning they would qualify. However, a Warwickshire win would see them qualify on scoring difference after the two teams drew in the first round of the competition.

Olcan Conway didn’t put a tooth in it after the game when he said that Leitrim didn’t deserve to qualify for the semi-finals on their performance against Longford but in an up and down League, results next week will determine their fate.

Martin Feeney opened the scoring two minutes in, a sideline ball played back out the wing to the Dromahair man for a fine point but Longford hit back impressively with a long hopeful clearance finding Cathal Mullane, the Longford full-forward rounding his man to fire a powerful shot past Clement Cunniffe for the game’s opening goal three minutes in.

The Leitrim team who were defeated by Longford in the Allianz NHL Division 3B Picture: Willie Donnellan

After such a bright start, you’d have been hopeful of a good game but the contest descended into a series of bad misses, from both teams, and yellow cards with two in the first six minutes. Gavin O’Hgan, Feeney and Senan Keane all had missed chances but Longford were equally profligate in front of the post.

Joe Murray cut the gap with a free on 16 minutes but Longford replied four minutes later from a Paddy Lynam free awarded after Stephen Goldrick was booked. Gavin O’Hagan also picked up a yellow before Reuben Murray was somehow twice denied a goal by blocks from Stephen Goldrick and Michael O’Brien.

Another Lynam free stretched the lead to three points but with both sides hitting a couple of more wides, Gavin O’Hagan chipped over a nice point on 29 minutes to cut the gap back to two. O’Hagan did had a bad wide shortly after to bring Leitrim’s total to nine for the first half.

Longford would finish the half with momentum thanks to points from David Buckley, Murray (free) and Mullane to leave them 1-5 to 0-3 ahead at the break. Crucially they were also a man up at the break after Martin Feeney was shown a red card after a scramble in the middle of the park.

That left Leitrim a man and five points down for the second half, although that gap was reduced by Joe Murray converted a 65 while Olcan Conway brought on Jerome Fitzgibbons, James McNabola and Brian Goldrick for the second half.

Conor Beirne scored a lovely point after a spin move four minutes in but with Longford adding to their wide tally, they settled themselves with two points in the space of a minute, Mullane an excellent score from the wing and Lynam from a free.

Longford’s Pat Burke from the Ringtown club in Westmeath made an excellent save to deny Jerome Fitzgibbon a goal on 14 minutes with Lynam firing over after a one-two from the sideline.

The Longford team who defeated Leitrim in the Allianz NHL Division 3B Picture: Willie Donnellan

However, Leitrim looked to have got themselves back into the contest when a long free found Conor Beirne who broke past his man and fed Joe Murray for a clinical finish to the corner of the net, leaving just four points between the sides.

Longford’s response was impressive and swift - Lynam fired over a free before Cathal Mullane defied two defenders to blast the ball past Clement Cunniffe, albeit with vociferous complaints from the Leitrim camp after David Buckley, sans stick, appeared to get away with a blatant throw to set up his teammate for the goal.

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That sucked whatever little life was left out of the contest completely as Longford would outscore Leitrim five points to two down the home stretch, Reuben Murray firing over five frees to two from Gavin O’Hagan.

Leitrim did threaten a goal in added time but Dhani Keane’s shot was saved well by Burke after a strong run from Evan Cox but it was Longford who booked their place in the knockout stages, leaving Leitrim to wait and see.

LEITRIM

Scorers: Joe Murray 1-2, 1 65, 1f; Gavin O’Hagan 0-3, 1f; Martin Feeney & Conor Beirne 0-1 each

Team: Clement Cunniffe, Evan Cox, Stephen Goldrick, Pearse Kenny, Paul Lenehan, Conor Beirne, Kevin Clerkin, Joe Murray, Martin Feeney, Sean O’Riordan, Gavin O’Hagan, Michael O’Brien, Dylan McDermott, Senan Keane, Conor Hackett. Subs: Jerome Fitzgibbon, Brian Goldrick & James McNabola for Keane, O’Riordan & Kenny (HT); Dhani Keane for McDermott (59); Thomas McNabola for Lenehan (67)

LONGFORD

Scorers: Cathal Mullane 2-2; Reuben Murray 0-6, 6f; Paddy Lynam 0-5, 4f; David Buckley & Sean Lancaster 0-1 each

Team: Pat Burke, Diarmuid Caslin, Eamon Allen, Karl Murray, Charles Flynn, Johnny Casey, Evan Tully, David Buckley, Paddy Lynam, Reuben Murray, Sean Lancaster, Maitiu O’Donohoe, Stephen Cregg, Cathal Mullane, Micheal Mulcahy. Subs: Keelan Cox for Gregg (43); Dan Crossan for O’Donohoe (63); Daire Regan for Flynn (67)

Referee: Michael Connolly (Galway)