Longford 2-11 Carlow 0-7
On this display Longford will hardly scare any future prospective opponents but they were too good for Carlow in Cullen Park on Sunday.
A sixth minute goal from James McGivney got them off to the perfect start and while Carlow hit back helped by a brace of points each from Diarmuid Walshe and Darragh Foley they never looked like losing in the second half.
Who knows if the momentum of the game would have changed if Benny Kavanagh had managed to beat Longford keeper, Paddy Collum, who came out smartly to make a block when a goal looked on.
Leading 1-5 to 0-5 at the interval, Longford still made heavy work of the home side. Scores were hard to come by in the second quarter where the two teams managed to add only two points each to their total.
Eventually Longford wore down Carlow. By the time Patrick Fox came forward from his own full-back line to score a second Longford goal spectators were leaving the ground.
That was only window dressing by that stage. John Keegan landed a late point for the visitors but it was only academic.
Longford: P Collum; P Fox (1-0), D McElligott, B O'Farrell; C P Smyth (0-1), P McCormack, D Quinn (0-2); J Keegan (0-1), D McGivney (0-3, three frees); G Rogers (0-1), A Farrell, M Quinn; D Mimnagh (0-1, free), J McGivney (1-1), D Doherty. Subs: J Hagan (0-1) for Farrell (43 minw) S Kenny for Doherty (53), A McElligott for Rogers (56), M Hughes for McCormack (62), C Farrell for Quinn (66), K Gilmore (69) for Mimnagh (69).
Carlow: R Sansom; L Roberts, S Redmond, C Lawlor; B Kavanagh, D St Ledger, C Moran; J Morrissey (0-1), E Ruth; D Walshe (0-4, two frees), S Gannon, C Doyle; D O'Brien, D Foley (0-2, free), J Murphy. Subs: D Moran for Roberts (55 mins), J Moore for Murphy (56), H Gahan for Ruth (62), J Clarke for O'Brien (63).
Referee: C Branagan (Down).
