Brave Longford give Kildare fright

Kildare 1-14, Longford 2-6

Kildare, still unsure on their feet in the shadow of their most successful period of the modern era, drew on all the knowledge garnered in the halcyon days to break Longford’s brave challenge in Mullingar yesterday.

With 10 minutes remaining, Longford supporters were contemplating a breakthrough. It has been 21 years since the midlands county beat a big name during the summer. Yesterday, with 6,500 people looking on in Cusack Park, presented their best chance.

The teams were tied when Kildare’s Derek McCormack split the Longford defence in the 58th minute. In front of goal, he lost his composure and blasted an easy chance wide. Seconds later, Paul Barden powered off on one of his trade-marked inspirational runs and fisted the ball over the bar. Where Kildare missed, Longford scored. It looked like another championship giant was to be slain by a slingshot from the smaller faction.

Experience teaches you to close a lead out. Longford were unable to do that. In the final eight minutes, Kildare claimed 1-3 to seal victory. Three of those scores came in the final four minutes, when Tadhg Fennin slotted over a free to put Kildare ahead for the first time since the 18th minute.

“We never thought we were going to lose,” Anthony Rainbow insisted afterwards. “We were playing well and we knew the chances would come.”

Rainbow believes the wider expanses of Croke Park will suit the Lilywhites better in the semi-final. In the tighter surrounds of Cusack Park, their inside forwards did struggle at times to manufacture space. However, Fennin was able to provide the killer blow when the opportunity presented itself.

It was a goal that could have been pressed from past glory days. Rainbow’s long ball from midfield was seized upon by Fennin, after Dermot Brady mis-timed his jump. Fennin was composed to slot the ball past Gavin Tonra. It was harsh on the Longford keeper who made two excellent point-blank saves as his defence started to unravel in the second half.

Afterwards, a disappointed Denis Connerton highlighted Fennin’s cool finish, coming a minute before the end, as the decisive moment. “I think there was just a minute left when Kildare got their goal. The game could have gone either way at that time. If we had got the goal, we could have won,” the Longford manager felt.

Despite opening up the Kildare defence with reasonable ease in the first half, Longford lacked viable alternatives in the second half when the Lilywhites got to grips with Niall Sheridan. All Longford’s scores in the first half, 2-2, came from utilising their hefty full-forward. Sheridan might look ungainly, but he is a very effective target-man. And yesterday, he offered his team a lot more than bulk. He wasn’t afraid to play searching balls to other inside forwards, or cushion the ball along the ground.

However, he remains primarily a target. After only two minutes, a high, dropping side-line ball from John O’Callaghan fell into Sheridan’s arms. He muscled himself away from David Lyon’s attentions and calmly stroked the ball past Enda Murphy. It was the first score of the match and signposted Longford’s tactics. With their use of long, high balls and a powerful full-forward, Longford were like a throw-back to days of yore. Trevor Smullen was creating further out the field, while Paul Barden and Rainbow were having the first tussles in their duel that had such a say in the outcome. But, even in the early stages it was obvious if Longford were to win, Sheridan would have to be silenced.

When another long ball fell into Sheridan’s arms in the 25th minute, again from the boot of O’Callaghan, Sheridan used his weight to great effect, finding Smullen, who beat Murphy with some aplomb, driving the ball into the top corner.

Padraig Davis, who had a poor game by his exalted standards, added a free a minute later before John Doyle’s free on half-time left just a point between the sides (2-2 to 0-7). Connerton thought his team didn’t play well in the first half and were fortunate to be ahead at the interval. For the opening 10 minutes of the second half, they did play their best football.

With Barden orchestrating, David tacked on two frees while Paul Ross also scored a beauty in the 38th minute. However, over-elaboration, possibly a symptom of inexperience, cost them on many occasions and never really translated dominance onto the score-board.

Karl Ennis, Kildare’s most impressive performer, sailed forward to nail an equaliser in the 56th minute while Longford, despite their dominance, only got three scores in the second half.

Nolan admitted afterwards they will need to improve ten-fold for the semi-finals. But, at least, they are there. And Kildare have shown in the past few years, they improve with each championship game.

Scorers: Kildare: T. Fennin (1-2, 1 free), J. Doyle (0-3, frees), K. Ennis, R. Sweeney (0-2 each), P.Murray (0-2, frees), D. McCormack, E McCormack, P. Hurley (0-1 each)

Longford: N. Sheridan, T. Smullen (1-0 each), P Davis (0-3, frees), P Barden (0-2), P. Ross (0-1).

KILDARE: E Murphy; B Lacey, D. Lyons, A. McLoughlin, A. Rainbow, M. Wright, K. Ennis; K. Brennan, A. Barry; P. Murray, J Doyle, R Sweeney, D McCromack, S. McKenzie-Smyth, T. Fennin.

Subs. P Hurley for Barry(51 mins), K Donnelly for McKenzie-Smyth (51 mins), E. McCormack for Murray(60 mins).

LONGFORD: G. Tonra; D. Brady, C. Conefrey, F. Coyle, M. Mulleady, E. Ledwith, A. O’Connor; J. O’Callaghan, T. Smullen; M. Lennon, P. Braden, M. Kelly, J. Martin, N. Sheridan, P. Davis.

Subs: J. Kenny for Conefrey (32 mins), P. Ross for Kelly (ht), D. Barden for Martin (42 mins), C. Hannify for Coyle (64 mins)

Ref: B Gorman (Armagh)