Longford sign off their last home league win with good win   14/03/2018

11/03/2018 Leinster League Division 1B Longford 25 Tullow 15

Longford Performance XV put in a solid 80 in the second last game of the Leinster League Division 1B when they dispatched a visiting Tullow on a score of 25-15. The final home game was a tough affair but the self-belief of the team saw them through and they now sit in third position in the table.

The loss of powerful pack performers Paul Gallogly and Ronan Keith before the game commenced, was a set back, for the men in black. Tullow managed to capitalise on Longford's disjointedness as the game started to settle.


The Carlow team were out of the blocks early and with just five minute gone scored a try to leave it 00-05. Kicker Will Canavan may not have been able to attach the afters, but when his side was awarded a penalty five minutes later he slotted it over with aplomb.

This meant that with 12 minutes gone the visitors had a 00-08 advantage. Longford started to click into life with the concession of the penalty. An astonishing breakaway try by Derek Farrell showing the individual brilliance that has been his trademark this season.

Joe McGowan may not have been able to add the conversion, but on the half hour mark he put boot to ball to add a penalty three levelling the match for the first time on 08-08 where it stayed to the break.

Tullow started the second as they had commenced the first; another breakaway try pushed them in front, this time Canavan was on point with the conversion 08-15. Under the pump but showing the cool heads that had marked them as play-off contenders up to the Suttonian's game, Longford started to apply themselves.


Following a pack movement that punched through the visitors defence centre Colm Glynn grounded and kicker McGowan added the afters back to level it 15-15

On the front foot and playing with an attacking flair that intimidated the opponents Longford pressed hard. A ball spun out wide by Daniel McHugh hit Ciaran O'Gorman, the loose forward shovelled it on the Lorcan Connelly and the winger went in under the posts.

McGowan pushed further ahead to 22-15. He also had the last word when he knocked over a penalty to leave it 25-15. This was a good solid all round performance from the team, but the contribution of Colm Glynn, Neal Farrell, Ciaran Gorman and Brendan McManus were crucial to the win.

The final league game of the season will take place in Togher when Portlaois play host this Sunday.

Mick Bannon, Philip Dardis, Dylan Quinn, David Geelan, Brendan McManus, Hubie Connolly, Derek Farrell, Kieran O’Gorman, Neal Farrell, Daniel McHugh, Joe McGowan, Colm Glynn Shane Rodgers, Finbarr McGowan, Sean Flynn, Liam Brady, Anthony Hughes, Lorcan Connolly, John Geelan & Aaron Beirne

Longford Development side suffered a tough defeat at home to the visiting Tullow seconds side when season fatigue and a couple of injuries scuppered any chance of winning out in a game that drifted away in the second 40.

The Development XV put the visitors under a lot of pressure in the first half of the game by running aggressive but intelligent attacking lines. However, as the game progressed and the visitors got a grip on proceedings they slipped through the Longford defensive line with surprising ease.

Longford controlled the game early, and despite going down 03-07 mid way through the first half they still put the Carlow men under pressure. However, an injury to outhalf Robert Lee slowed down the Longford attack in the second half and the visitors took every advantage of this to punish.

Longford Development team will be looking to make amends for this out of character performance in the final games of the season.

Podge O'Gara, Liam Brady, Justin Ford Anthony Hughes John Geelnan, Aaron Beirne, Danny Griffin, John Geelan, Lorcan Connolly, Robert Lee, James Mimnagh, Alan Connolly, Mick Cullen, Sean McGuinness, Paul Treacy, Pawel. 











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