Louth - 3-17 Longford - 1-12: The contrast couldn't have been greater. Louth's somnambulant opening to the drawn game seven days ago gave way to something of a tour de force in the opening minutes of yesterday's Bank of Ireland Leinster senior football championship clash at Páirc Tailteann in Navan.
Louth rattled up 1-3 in the first five minutes and the fears of the Longford supporters that they had left victory behind them the last day when leading by seven points were realised long before referee Michael Collins blew the final whistle.
Louth's opening salvo was largely attributable to the excellent play of right corner forward and man of the match Ollie McDonnell. He scored the opening point of the match and after David Reilly - he was named at right half forward - posted a second, McDonnell's speed took him clear of Donal Ledwith, forcing the Longford defender to clip the Louthman's heels as he bore down on goal.
Mark Stanfield dispatched the penalty via the crossbar and then added a point as Louth cut a swathe through the Longford defence. McDonnell's pace and intelligent running off the ball was a constant source of discomfort for several opponents: Donal Ledwith started on him before handing over to Shane Carroll and, briefly, Cathal Conefrey.
McDonnell's influence was undiluted no matter whom he faced. He produced an equally telling contribution to the start of the second half, racing on to Ken Reilly's beautifully-judged pass into space before calmly beating Longford goalkeeper Gavin Tonra with a low shot to the right corner of the goal.
McDonnell finished the game with a goal and four points, but his input, the ability to create space for others, transcended mere scoring values.
Indeed the movement and scoretaking ability of the Louth forwards guaranteed a torrid afternoon for their opponents. Longford manager Denis Connorton tried to redress the mismatch, withdrawing corner back Fintan Coyle after just 14 minutes, but it was no more than window dressing.
David Reilly contributed 1-3 and Mark Stanfield had a similar tally before he was sent off in the 60th minute for his second yellow card infringement. Longford's David Blessington was also dismissed in the same incident, at the behest of a linesman: his was a straight red card. It was difficult not to feel some sympathy for Blessington - he toiled hard with no reward and his frustration finally got the better of him.
Longford's decision to leave just two players in the full-forward line, Padraic Davis and David Barden, withdrawing Arthur O'Connor to midfield, merely served to isolate the two forwards. Louth's dominance at half back ensured that the possession given to the Longford forwards was nothing more than a trickle.
David Barden was his side's most effective threat, giving defender Alan Page a difficult afternoon. Davis kicked six points from frees, a statistic which may trouble the Louth manager Paddy Carr when he views the video. Louth gave away 27 frees in total, indiscipline that they could rue against better teams.
Louth led 1-10 to 0-8 at the interval, and McDonnell's goal two minutes after the restart provided them with the early impetus once again. Longford's Liam Keenan, introduced 10 minutes before half-time, had an excellent match, his towering physique helping to improve matters slightly at midfield.
Trevor Smullen kicked a point and Paul Barden added another as Longford tried to inch their way back, but three quick scores from McDonnell, JP Rooney and the excellent Christy Grimes nudged Louth into a 2-13 to 0-10 lead.
Even Paul Barden's smartly-taken goal from a Ronan Clyne pass in the 50th minute couldn't galvanise the losers, their desperation to pour forward leaving sufficient room for the Louth forwards to exploit. When David Reilly fisted home after excellent work by JP Rooney after 56 minutes, Longford's fate was sealed.
It could have been even worse. Sixty seconds later Longford goalkeeper Gavin Tonra made a fine save from Rooney at point-blank range to deny him a goal. The match petered out to its inevitable conclusion, the crowd given to sporadic polite applause in acknowledgement of scores.
The football may have been scrappy at times but Louth won't care. There was enough quality in their performance to suggest that they can trouble Leinster's elite.
LOUTH: 1 S Reynolds; 2 A Page, 3 A Hoey, 4 D Brennan; 5 S Gerrard, 6 P McGinnity, 7 J Neary; 8 K Reilly, 9 M Farrelly (capt); 22 D Reilly, 11 C Grimes, 12 M Stanfield; 13 O McDonnell, 14 C O'Hanlon, 15 JP Rooney.
Substitutes: C Kelly for JP Rooney, 62-66 mins (blood); S O'Hanlon for C O'Hanlon, 62 mins.
LONGFORD: 1 G Tonra; 2 S Carroll, 4 F Coyle, 3 D Ledwith; 5 C Conefrey, 8 C Keogh, 7 E Ledwith; 6 D Blessington, 9 E Barden; 10 T Smullen, 12 R Clyne, 11 P Barden; 13 D Barden, 15 P Davis (capt), 17 A O'Connor.
Substitutes: M Mulleady for Coyle, 14 mins; L Keenan for Keogh, 30 mins; N Sheridan for Clyne, 50 mins; M Kenny for E Barden, 62-69 mins (blood); F Coyle for E Ledwith, 62 mins.
