The hosts never looked troubled over the course of this one sided encounter with their chief tailsmen James Noonan and Mark Hughes leading their charges up front.

Despite dictating the exchanges in the early stages, it was Longford who safe guarded a two point lead at the half time interval. Carlow broke the deadlock when Daryl Roberts fired home a brilliant goal 25-metres from the Longford posts.

The home side however responded positively and they gained parity with points coming from James McGivney and Robbie Smyth.

On the restart Longford upped the ante considerably and they bagged their only goal of contest after they were awarded a penalty on the 46th minute.

Longford goalkeeper Paddy Collum stepped up to take the spot kick and superbly placed it into the right hand corner.

From here on in, it was plain sailing for Longford and they took full advantage of Carlow’s lack of discipline with corner-forward Mark Hughes landing three points on the trot from the placed ball.

Longford topped off an encouraging performance with a late flurry from Pedro Bryne, that now sets them up against county neighbours Westmeath in the next round in two weeks time at Pearse Park.  

SCORERS: Longford: J McGivney 0-2, R Smyth 0-2, J Noonan 0-4, M Hughes 0-4,(3f), P Collum 1(p)-0, P Byrne 0-1. Carlow: E Molloy 0-1, D Roberts 1-0, D O'Brien 0-2,(1f) G Owens 0-1.

LONGFORD: Paddy Collum (St. Vincent's); Darragh Bennett (Killoe), Sean Goldrick (Longford Slashers), Ronor Keogh (Killoe); Conor Clarke (Longford Slashers), Dylan Quinn (St. Vincent's, Capt), Shane Donoghue (Shannon Gaels); James McGivney (Northern Gaels), Darren Gallagher (Granard); Darren Farrelly (St. Vincent's), Padraig McCormack (Killoe), Diarmuid Cooney (St. Vincent's); Robbie Smyth (Northern Gaels), James Noonan (St. Vincent's), Mark Hughes (Killoe).

SUBS USED:- Pedro Byrne (Ballymahon/Forgney) for D Farrelly 54th,  Cillian Lynn (Wolfe Tones) for S Donoghue 57th, Darren Reilly (St. Vincent's) for D Bennet 59th, Tom Madden (Longford Slashers) for C Clarke 59th. 

CARLOW: Barry Doyle, Philip Manning, Sean Wogan, Brian Hourihane, Mark Curry, Richard Jefers Enda Molloy, Sean Murphy, Mark Fitzgerald, Jamie Kenny, Gary Owens, Jack Kennedy, Daryl Roberts, David Corcoran, Darragh O’Brien.

SUBS USED:- C Kehoe for J Kennedy 26th,  D Kelly for D Corcoran ht,  N Lawler for M Curry 48th, T Murphy for P Manning 50th, D Kehoe for G Owens 55th.

REFEREE: Gary McCormack (Dublin).