Nightmare match for Russell sees Longford through to final

Longford 4-4

Wexford manager, Dom Twomey must have been fuming as his side finished with a four point defeat with Longford celebrating a place in the final following this exciting O’Byrne Cup semi-final at Gorey yesterday.

Wexford side looked to be cruising, leading 0-5 to 0-1 after 28 minutes. Then, in the space of 60 seconds, Russell pressed the self-destruct button as Longford poached two goals which broke Wexford hearts. The first of those arrived on 29 minutes when Russell failed to deal with an Enda Ledwith dipping shot, which crashed back off the crossbar leaving corner-forward Trevor Smullen with the simplest of tap-ins.

Clanger No 2 arrived one minute later.

Russell advanced to clear a long ball into space to the right of goal but he dealt with the situation dreadfully. He booted the ball straight into the hands of substitute David Barden, whose lob from 30 metres ended in the corner of the net.

The goals left Longford going in with a three point interval lead, 2-2 to 0-5, despite being outplayed for most of that opening 35 minutes.

Wexford started the second half brightly through a Diarmuid Kinsella point. Once again they took control with points from Matty Forde and substitute Tomas Mahon to leave the minimum separating the sides, 2-3 to 0-8 after 48 minutes.

But it was Longford who struck back at the height of the Wexford pressure and when ‘keeper Russell hesitated once more in advancing to a long Padraig Shanley ball, he left corner-forward Trevor Smullen to nip in and flick the ball away from his grasp to the corner of the net.

Some superb point taking from Forde once again hauled the home side back within one point, 0-11 to 3-3, but with five minutes remaining Paraic Davis slipped a low ball into the net to secure the Longford’s final place and a clash with Kildare.

LONGFORD: G. Tonra, D. Brady, C. Conefrey, D. Ledwith, M. Mulleady, E. Ledwith, A. O'Connor, L. Keenan, J. O'Callaghan, M. Lennon, P. Barden (0-3), P. Ross, T. Smullen (2-0), P. Shanley (0-1), P. Davis (1-0). Subs: D. Barden (1-0) for Lennon; R. Clyne for O'Callaghan; J. Martin for D. Barden; N. Sheridan for Shanley.

WEXFORD: J. Russell, C. Morris, R. Mageean, M. Gahan, R. Mallon (0-1), P. Wallace, P. Curtis, W. Carley, R. Hassey, J. Hudson, D. Breen, R. Barry, P. Carley, D. Kinsella (0-2), M. Forde (0-8). Subs: T. Mahon (0-1) for Gahan; P. Colfer for Hudson; J. Levingstone for P. Carley; N. Murphy for Gahan; T. Howlin for Barry.

Referee: P. Devlin (Kilkenny).