Longford unlucky to lose against Wexford

24.01.10 | Wexford 1-10 Longford 0-12

Depleted Longford fell victims to an experimental rule in St. Patrick's Park, Enniscorthy, on Sunday last when a last gasp Wexford point deprived them of the extra-time they deserved in the O'Byrne Shield Senior Football Tournament quarter-final.

Over seven minutes of added time had been played when a fisted pass to replacement goalkeeper Aidan Gray bounced off his chest and was gathered by Wexford substitute, Adrian Flynn, who coolly fisted over the winning point.

Then, and only then, did referee Gary McCormack sound the final whistle as the new rules stipulate that the ball must be dead before this can happen.

Under normal circumstances, the action would have finished a few minutes earlier and the teams would have been preparing for extra-time.

However, the ball stayed in play from Adrian Morrissey's equaliser for Wexford in the second minute of stoppage time until Flynn's winner, leaving Longford to curse their bad luck after an encouraging display.

They were a little unlucky to trail at half-time by 1-4 to 0-6, as midfielders Brian Kavanagh and Bernard McElvaney were dominant while the ploy of using Declan Reilly deep in his own half posed problems for Wexford.

In addition, the full-back line excelled as they repeatedly dealt with the long ball tactics of the locals whose two big men inside, Diarmuid Kinsella and Paddy Byrne, were starved of possession.

Wexford's best spell of dominance came in the early stages but they only had points from Adrian Morrissey and Kinsella to show for constant attacking.

Indeed, Longford’s first kick at goal didn't arrive until the tenth minute when their most threatening forward, Jamsie Martin, sent a free wide.

However, Martin punished indiscipline by the Wexford backs with a brace of points in the 14th and 17th minutes, and Longford went ahead for the first time when the classy Brian Kavanagh converted another free midway through the half.

While Ben Brosnan brought Wexford back to level terms twice, his points were answered first by another Kavanagh free and then by Martin (free) to leave the visitors ahead by 0-5 to 0-4 after 28 minutes.

Danny Keenan shot Longford’s third and final wide of the first half before the key score arrived in the 33rd minute.

Kieran Kennedy slipped a handpass to Redmond Barry who was taken down by Dermot Brady, and the resultant penalty was drilled straight down the middle and into the net by Ben Brosnan.

Longford’s first point from play arrived over two minutes into added time at the end of the first half when a David Morgan pass gave Jamsie Martin the space to split the posts (1-4 to 0-6).

Glenn Ryan introduced Enda Williams and Ronan McGoldrick in place of Martin Brady and Shane Powell at the break, and the exchanges remained tight with never more than two points between the sides.

A Ben Brosnan point from play was cancelled out by another Brian Kavanagh free, and the first mark of the game didn't arrive until the 43rd minute when Redmond Barry obliged for Wexford.

Longford got an impressive run going towards the end of the third quarter, and three points without reply from Jamsie Martin (free) and two Brian Kavanagh efforts from play gave them a deserved 0-10 to 1-5 lead by the 51st minute.

Kavanagh's second effort came after Bernard McElvaney claimed the first Longford mark from a Wexford kick-out. Goalkeeper Damien Sheridan then came to their rescue with a fine save from Paddy Byrne, and seven minutes later he turned a Ben Brosnan shot around the post, with Wexford's leading scorer pointing the resultant '45.

Adrian Morrissey, Brian Kavanagh’s Kilmacud Crokes clubmate, then took centre stage as he kicked the equaliser before earning a free which Brosnan sent over to edge Wexford ahead by 1-8 to 0-10 with two and a half minutes of normal time left.

However, Longford responded with one of the best points of the game, with Shane Mulligan, Seamus Hannon and Kavanagh all involved in a move which ended with Kevin Mulligan levelling matters yet again.

Even better followed for the visitors as Wexford defender Niall Murphy lost control of the ball and conceded a free which made its way to Jamsie Martin, and he worked his way into a good position before kicking the lead point less than a minute into added time.

The third and final mark, a fine catch by Longford forward Danny Keenan from another Wexford kick-out, came to nothing, with Wexford's influential substitute, Eric Bradley, then making a surging run before setting up Adrian Morrissey for the equaliser (1-9 to 0-12) with the stopwatch reading 36 minutes and 43 seconds.

It took a vital tackle by Paddy Byrne on David Morgan to deny Longford a scoring chance before that late, late intervention by Adrian Flynn booked Wexford's semi-final spot against Westmeath next weekend.

Longford will now concentrate on the clash against Luke Dempsey's Carlow at Dr. Cullen Park in the opening round of the National League Division 4 on Sunday week, February 7th.

WEXFORD: Jason Russell; Joey Wadding, David Walsh, Niall Murphy; Kieran Kennedy, David Murphy, Dylan Kehoe; Brendan Doyle, Daithí Waters; Adrian Morrissey (0-3), Brian Malone, Redmond Barry; Paddy Byrne, Diarmuid Kinsella (0-1), Ben Brosnan (1-5, 1-0 pen, 0-3 frees, 0-1 '45).

SUBS USED:- Adrian Flynn (0-1) for D Kinsella (47 mins); Collie Byrne for B Malone (50 mins); Colm Morris for D Kehoe (53 mins); Eric Bradley for B Doyle (53 mins); Damien Carter for D Walsh (injured, 57 mins); Tomás Sheehy for D Waters (73 mins).

LONGFORD: Damien Sheridan (Dromard); Shane Mulligan (Mullinalaghta), Noel Farrell (Colmcille), Seamus Hannon (Mostrim); Dermot Brady (Longford Slashers), Justin Nally (Ballymahon), Martin Brady (Sean Connolly's); Bernard McElvaney (Ballymore), Brian Kavanagh (Kilmacud Crokes, 0-5, 3 frees); Shane Powell (Ardagh), Kevin Mulligan (Mullinalaghta, 0-1), Danny Keenan (Ardagh); Jamsie Martin (Dromard, 0-6, 4 frees), David Morgan (Mostrim), Declan Reilly (Colmcille).

SUBS USED:- Enda Williams (Clonguish) for M Brady (half-time); Ronan McGoldrick (Killoe) for S Powell (half-time); Arthur O'Connor (Abbeylara) for D Reilly (59 mins); Aidan Gray (Fr. Manning Gaels) for D Sheridan (65 mins).

REFEREE: Gary McCormack (Dublin).

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