Two counties with their championship season on the line but only one that seemed in any way interested in extending their campaign as Longford cruised to victory over an insipid Carlow side

One week after the width of the goalpost saved Kildare from Leinster championship elimination at the hands of Longford in Tullamore, the two sides returned to Bord na Móna O’Connor Park and played out a game that couldn’t have been any more of a contrast.

Both sides kicked some wonderful points though remarkably, the second half of extra time yielded no score.

The postponed Round 6 tie between Westmeath and Louth will take place next weekend, rather than midweek ensuring the final will not take place in Croke Park next weekend.

Meath are eyeing up their first piece of silverware under Andy McEntee after cruising comfortably through to the last four of the Bord na Mona O’Byrne Cup.

Longford impressed throughout as they began their All-Ireland campaign, with a well-earned eight-point SFC Round 1 qualifier win against 13 men Louth at Drogheda's Gaelic Grounds.

Four goals in six minutes of devastation sent Longford packing and set Laois up for a Leinster quarter-final clash with bitter rivals Kildare.

Longford 2-11 Offaly 0-9: Second-half goals from Liam Connerton and Darren Gallagher helped Longford record an eight-point win over Offaly in this Round-2 O’Byrne Cup clash in Newtowncashel.

Longford 1-6 Cork 2-9: From limp to lively, Cork reached the last 12 of the All-Ireland SFC — the first time they have done so without reaching the Munster final since that glorious season of 2010.

Cork progressed to Round 4A of the All-Ireland qualifiers this afternoon largely thanks to the half-time introductions of Colm O’Neill and Pa Kelly.

Longford have upset the form guide with a Qualifier win over a vulnerable Down side at Pairc Esler, striking two killer goals in extra-time to book their place in Monday’s Round 2 draw.

Longford 0-13 Westmeath 0-11: Longford consolidated their position in Division 3 and relegated their neighbours in the process; Westmeath’s third consecutive demotion.

Longford 0-16 Offaly 0-13: In a streaky game where both sides thrived on confidence, ultimately Offaly’s lack of self-belief cost them when they saw the finishing line.

Longford’s survival instincts served them well as they came from seven points adrift to oust Offaly in a keenly contested Leinster SFC clash at O’Connor Park in Tullamore.

Offaly had way too much firepower for Longford and it was their more clinical finishing of better chances created that earned them the new Division 4 silverware.

CAVAN

Kildare 1-12 Longford 0-12

Kildare failed to score from the 42nd minute onwards against Longford but did enough to claim their first Cadbury Leinster Under-21 Football title since 2008, while Cavan and Donegal advanced to an Ulster final meeting on April 17.

Meath 1-9 Longford 1-7

Wexford 1-9 Longford 0-11

LONGFORD will have home advantage in their Leinster MFC quarter-final with Westmeath on May 22 after this deserved qualifier victory at Pearse Park on Saturday.