Ryan’s delight as Longford keep the ball rolling

The rise of Longford football continued on Saturday night in Croke Park.

For the second successive season, Glenn Ryan’s men are walking away from the league campaign with divisional silverware secured and promotion to a higher tier attained.

They got the better of Wexford in an odd game of contrasts here with a fantastic first-half display propelling them into a 10-point advantage in the interval. Yet they had to withstand a stirring revival by Wexford after the break that trimmed the margin to two points by the finish. It was an occasion to cherish for Ryan as his players gear up for their opening championship assignment against Laois “I’m delighted because there are a lot of players who went through the hardship so I think they appreciate it more now,” remarked the Longford boss. “They have used those disappointments and turned them into positives and probably become stronger individuals as a result. But I’m not just here to put trophies in the cabinet. There has to be a long-term aim as to what we are trying to do here and at least are doing our best that the lads that are coming through are part of a set-up that is ambitious.”