Minors hammer Wicklow in Leinster League

13.03.10 | Longford 3-15 Wicklow 2-3 | By Tommy McLoughlin

Longford minors started their 2010 campaign with an emphatic win over Wicklow at the splendid Maguire Park, Ballinalee on Saturday in the Leinster Minor Football League Round 1.

Playing into the breeze Longford found themselves a goal down when a sideline ball was allowed to sail into the net untouched.

At the fifteen minute mark Longford trailed 1-2 to 0-1, from this point on the Longford forwards started to find the range and ran up 2-7 without reply the goals coming from Diarmuid Cooney and Mark Hughes leaving the half time score 2-8 to 1-2 in favour of Longford.

It was ten minutes into the second half before there was another score with Cooney again on target with a point with Longford scoring another 1-6 before Wicklow scored 1-1 in the final five minutes to leave the final score 3-15 to 2-3 in Longford's favour.

The Longford management will be happy with the display but will know they face stiffer competition in the coming weeks.

A Longford selection now go forward to meet Kilkenny in the Leinster League, while the minor panel face Galway in Dunmore in the Connaught Minor League next weekend.

LONGFORD SCORERS: Mark Hughes 2-4, Robbie Smith 0-6, Diarmuid Cooney 1-2, James Noonan 0-1, Darren Gallagher 0-1 and Darren Farrelly 0-1.

LONGFORD: Gareth Higgins (Carrick/Sarsfields), Ronan Keogh (Killoe Og), Sean Goldrick (Longford Slashers), Adrian McLoughlin (Wolfe Tones), Conor Clarke (Longford Slashers), Oisin Farrell (Carrick/Sarsfields), Dylan Quinn (St Vincent’s), James McGivney (Northern Gaels), Darren Gallagher (Granard/Ballymore), Darren Farrelly (St. Vincent’s), Padraig McCormack (Killoe Og), Diarmuid Cooney (St. Vincent’s), Robbie Smyth (Northern Gaels), James Noonan (St Vincent’s), Mark Hughes (Killoe Og).

SUBS USED:- Pedro Byrne (Ballymahon/Forgney) and Shane Donoghue (Shannon Gaels).