Leinster SFC Quarter-Final

KILDARE 1-21 LONGFORD 3-15

By John Harrington at Bord na Mona O’Connor Park, Tullamore

Kildare and Longford couldn’t be separated even after extra-time of what was a pretty epic Leinster SFC quarter-final today at O’Connor Park, Tullamore.

Both teams went toe to toe for just over 100 minutes and produced some brilliant scores that will live long in the memory.

More than once it looked like Kildare had the winning of the game, but Longford refused to die and scored goals at crucial times to keep the tie alive.

Kildare got off to a fast start with the wind at their backs in the first half scoring the first four points of the game, but then Longford worked their way back into the contest in impressive fashion.

They started winning more ball in the middle third of the field and with this platform were finally able to start running at the Kildare defence.

Michael Quinn and David McGivney in particular were bringing the ball forward to good effect, and when they were able to work it as far as their lively inside-forwards, the Kildare defence started to creak and crack.

Daniel Mimnagh, James McGivney, and Darragh Doherty were all managing to get a yard on their markers, who resorted to fouling to keep them in check.

Three frees from David McGivney and one classy point from play by his brother James had the teams level by the 15th minute and now we really had a game on our hands.

It was end to end stuff as the teams exchanged score after score, and most of them were of the very highest quality.

Kildare’s Adam Tyrrell had lofted three eye-catching points by the 21st minute, but at the other end of the field Daniel Mimnagh also landed two pearls of points.

Mimnagh then played a key role in the best move of the match so far when he sent the hard-running Quinn clean through on goal.

The Longford half-forward got his head up and squared the ball to Doherty who cut back inside and finished clinically to the back of the net to put Longford 1-7 to 0-7 ahead.

Kildare’s response to this set-back was impressive. Points flowed from Eoghan O’Flaherty (f), Ben McComrack, Paddy Brophy, and Fergal Conway and by the 30th minute the Lilywhites were back in front.

Longford briefly rallied when that man Mimnagh pointed again after a clever 1-2 with Michael Quinn, but in the dying minutes of the half Kildare really put the hammer down.

Tyrrell struck for a goal when Paddy Collum parried a David Slattery shot into his path, and then the Moorefield man followed up with a free to put his team 1-12 to 1-8 ahead by the half-time break.

Considering how well Longford had played for most of the half, the concession of those late scores must have been demoralising.

It looked like the game was drifting away from them when Kildare then hit the first three points of the second-half.

Longford were really struggling to win primary possession in the middle third, and even though they had the wind at their backs were forced to get most of their players inside their own half to resist the tide of Kildare attacks.

But just when you thought the Lilywhites might coast to a comfortable enough victory, they suddenly lost their way.

David Hyland’s 42nd minute point would be the last they’d score in the second-half, and the game was suddenly in the melting pot again when Longford scored 1-2 in the space of two minutes.

David McGivney (f) and John Keegan kicked the points, and then Kildare shot themselves in the foot when Mark Donnellan sent his kick-out straight to David McGivney who put sub Mark Hughes through for a goal.

Kildare looked to have steadied themselves when Tyrrell kicked two frees, but Longford mustered one last heroic charge as Hughes, Barry McKeon, and Aidan McElligott kicked three late points to level the game up and force it into extra-time.

It seemed Kildare had more left in the tank when they hit three points in the first four minutes of extra-time from David Hyland, lively substitute Jimmy Hyland, and Ben McCormack.

But Longford just wouldn’t lie down and at the end of the first period of extra-time levelled the tie again, 1-21 to 3-15 when Michael Quinn bundled the ball to the Kildare net from close range.

Both teams were out on their feet in the second period of extra-time, so much so that neither could summon another score and the match ended all square.

The replay takes place in Tullamore next Sunday at 3pm.

Scorers for Kildare: Adam Tyrrell 1-7 (3f), David Hyland 0-4 (1m), Ben McCormack 0-3, Jimmy Hyland 0-2, Fergal Conway 0-2, Conor Hartley 0-1, Eoghan O’Flaherty 0-1 (f), Paddy Brophy 0-1

Scorers for Longford: Mark Hughes 1-1, James McGivney 0-4, David McGivney 0-4 (4f), Daniel Mimnagh 0-3, Michael Quinn 1-0, Darragh Doherty 1-0, Barry McKeon 0-1, John Keegan 0-1, Aidan McElligott 0-1

KILDARE: Mark Donnellan; Mark Dempsey, David Hyland, Mark Hyland; Peter Kelly, Eoin Doyle, Keith Cribbin; Kevin Feely, Fergal Conway; David Slattery, Ben McCormack, Eoghan O’Flaherty; Adam Tyrell, Paddy Brophy, Neil Flynn. Subs: Conor Hartley for Ben McCormac (ht) Niall Kelly for Eoghan O’Flaherty (50), Jimmy Hyland for Neil Flynn (56), Tommy Moolick for Fergal Conway (67), Cathal McNally for Adam Tyrrell (67), Ben McCormack for Paddy Brophy (71 et), Cian O’Donoghue for Keith Cribbin (80 et), Kevin O’Callaghan for David Slattery (87 et)

LONGFORD: Paddy Collum; Patrick Fox Andrew Farrell, Barry O’Farrell; Colm P Smyth, Padraig McCormack, Darren Quinn; John Keegan, David McGivney; Gary Rogers, Barry McKeon, Michael Quinn; Daniel Mimnagh, James McGivney, Darragh Doherty. Subs: Joseph Hagan for Andrew Farrell (black card) (50), Mark Hughes for Darragh Doherty (53) Shane Kenny for Gary Rogers (59), Aidan McElligott for Colm P Smyth (65), Ronan McEntire for Shane Kenny (76 et), Darragh Doherty for Mark Hughes (87 et)

Ref: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh)