Carlow no match for superior Longford

Longford 1-18
Carlow 1-12

Longford full forward Brian Kavanagh gave a man of the match performance, kicking 0-6 as Jack Sheedy’s Longford completed their campaign unbeaten, following a six-point win over a spirited Carlow side at Dr Cullen Park yesterday – a result which sets up a divisional final with Offaly.

Longford established control and were 0-9 to 0-4 ahead when Carlow’s John Murphy scored a superb 29th-minute goal as the visitors led 0-12 to 1-6 at half-time.

Longford scored the opening four points of the second half but Carlow responded with four unanswered white flags of their own. Any prospect of a shock result was scotched when Longford substitute Dessie Reynolds scored his side’s goal on in the 56th minute.

LONGFORD: G Higgins ; F Battrim, T Gallagher, B Devine; A Rowan, C Farrelly, D Brady; B Gilleran (0-1), C Quaine; S Doyle (0-1), M Quinn (0-2), P Gill (0-2); R NcNerney (0-5, two frees), B Kavanagh (0-6, three frees), L Connerton (0-1). Subs: P McKeon for Gilleran (46 mins), D Reynolds (1-0) for Doyle (50 mins), R McIntyre for Gill (53 mins), B O'Farrell for Brady (61 mins), R Conor for Rowan (63 mins), F McGee for Quaine (inj, 66 mins).
CARLOW: R Molloy; B J Molloy, S Redmond, K Nolan; M Fitzgerald, D St Ledger (0-1), B Kavanagh; S Gannon (0-3), D Foley; A Kelly (0-1), J Murphy (1-1), D Hayden; E Finnegan, B Murphy (0-2, one free), D O'Brien (0-1). Subs: D Kelly for Kavanagh (inj, 27 mins), C Moran (0-1) for Finnegan (47 mins), D Moran for Fitzgerald (47 mins), H Gahan for Foley (48 mins), E McCormack (0-2, both frees) for B Murphy (48 mins), M Meaney for J Murphy (63 mins).
Referee: J Bermingham (Cork).