LEINSTER SFC: Louth 1-11 Longford 1-7:LOUTH WENT about the task of doing what was expected of them in workmanlike fashion here. This was not a good game of football but the result marked a deeply satisfying day for manager Peter Fitzpatrick, who was on the sideline for his first championship match yesterday. All in all, it was a strange affair.
The Leinster Council did these teams no favours by putting the tie on the second billing of their matinee in the sun. There was no way that it could be presented as the main attraction and so, as most of the Meathies and the Faithful County supporters departed to enjoy the remainder of a sublime afternoon, this match felt like something of an afterthought.
In keeping with the sedate atmosphere, it petered out in the end. Louth comfortably defended their lead and Longford head into the long road of the qualifiers feeling that they did not give anything like their best shot. A 39th-minute goal by substitute Bernard McElvaney brought Longford roaring back into contention but they managed just one point for the rest of the match and committed a series of cardinal errors.
Manager Glenn Ryan declined the invitation to voice the excuse that the absence of Brian Kavanagh was the critical factor in deciding this match. His team won sufficient possession and showed plenty of heart, with Paddy Dowd, Dermot Brady and Seán McCormack often in the thick of things. But they just took bad decisions, fired too many ambitious shots and committed elemental passing errors. Conditions can't have been easy: the heat was punishing.
This was a much needed jolt for Louth football. They were far from the polished article here but they showed flashes of the clean and muscular game which represents them at their most effective. The experienced midfield pairing remains the key. A lot of ball passed through Paddy Keenan's hands and none of it went to waste. The midfielder also kicked a point that steadied Louth early in the second half when Longford had fired 1-1 on the trot. It was a score that restored the previous pattern of the game and when his midfield partner Brian White chipped a free five minutes later, Louth had re-established control.
They were at their best when they kept it simple and can take encouragement from a decent spread of scores from play. Their goal came at a useful time, when Shane Lennon got onto the end of a slick-passing movement involving John O'Brien, Adrian Reid and Keenan before calmly placing his shot past Damien Sheridan. That was in the 34th minute and gave Louth a 1-6 to 0-6 lead.
Longford's Seán McCormack, named as replacement for Kavanagh, contributed two points and Paddy Dowd, a strong force in the attack, also landed a fine score in the opening period. They started the second half brightly as well, driving at the Louth defence in short, straight-line bursts and looking to lay the ball off. It yielded an instant and startling dividend.
Longford's goal came out of the blue, with Declan Reilly driving a ball forward and Dowd passing quickly to McElvaney. Everything about McElvaney's shot made it seem as if the Longford man was going for a point but the ball sort of ran out of steam as it travelled through the air and looped over Neil Gallagher.
Goals of this nature can sometimes send an electric charge through a match and briefly, Longford threatened a rampage of scores. John O'Brien overlapped and found himself through on goal but his fisted effort - presumably intended as a point - fell short and into the net. The score was disallowed but hinted at fresh possibilities for Longford.
After the restart, he atoned by kicking a point and Longford had their first and only lead of the match. But that was as close as they came as Louth clipped over a few points to silence the crowd.
When it came to it, Louth had better forward craft. JP Rooney found possession hard to come by but, nonetheless, produced a good point; late replacement Colm Judge showed a confident shooting touch and Declan Byrne came on and struck the best point of the day.
It was to be Louth's day in the sun.
LOUTH:1 N Gallagher; 2 E McAuly, 4. R Greene, 3. D Finnegan; 5. R Finnegan, 6. M Fanning, 7 J O'Brien; 8. P Keenan (0-1), 9. B White (0-3 frees); 11. M Brennan, 10. A McDonnell, 12. A Reid (0-1); 18. C Judge (0-3, 1 free), 14. S Lennon (1-1), JP Rooney (0-1). Subs:21 D Byrne (0-1) for A McDonnell (49 mins) 19 A Hoey for JP Rooney (62 mins). Yellow cards: D Byrne, B White.
LONGFORD:1. D Sheridan; 2. D Brady. 3. B Masterson, 4 S Hannon; 5 S Mulligan 6. E Williams, 7. P Foy (0-1); 8. A O'Connor, 9. B Gilleran; 11. F McNee (0-2, 1 free), 15 P Barden, 12 K Mulligan (0-1); 10 P Dowd (0-1), 13 D Reilly, 23 S McCormack (0-2). Subs:20 B McElvaney (1-0) for B Gilleran (half-time), 17 N Farrell for P Foy (51 mins), 25 C Mimnagh for A O'Connor (62 mins). Yellow cards: S Mulligan, D Masterson.
Referee:P Fox (Westmeath).
