Brennan bitter after ‘goal’ ruled out

Drama. Controversy. Finger-pointing.

This one had it all. Pegged as the pick of the first round qualifiers, the meeting of Longford and Derry lived up to the billing with an estimated crowd of 3,000 afforded a tight struggle and a memorable climax.

Longford were leading with the last of 11 extra minutes being played when a 23-man scuffle broke out around the home penalty area just as a 45 was awarded and when the smoke cleared Barry McGoldrick was walking off with a second yellow card and a bloody nose.

It was a sorry end to the evening for the defender who had ghosted forward to the edge of the Longford square to score two second-half goals.

However, the Leinster side’s travails under the high ball were far from over. The resultant dead ball was dinked in and caught by substitute Joe Diver, who was either dragged or threw himself Joe Sheridan-style over the line with ball in hands. What mattered most was referee Michael Duffy’s interpretation and the Sligo man awarded a free-out.

Longford’s three-point lead remained intact and so did their championship hopes, with Duffy blowing the final whistle after those extra 11 minutes.

“The players are satisfied that Joe Diver caught the ball clean,” said Derry manager John Brennan afterwards. “We have seen goals like that awarded before. How he can then award a free-out, I don’t know? We are not surprised because he was castigated last week for his performance [in the Down-Monaghan Ulster semi-final]. In this game he was doing reasonably well until the second half... I hope he is happy that he can do that to a team. [Diver] went in caught the ball and the ball then went over the line. That was their interpretation.

“We had a player who came off the pitch with blood on his nose after scoring two goals. He was hit on the nose and that was very unsatisfactory.

“A team official or ground official was involved with the players. I would like to see that on camera. A person was involved who shouldn’t have been.”

Never one to hold his tongue, Brennan pointed his sights at more than just Duffy. The local media in Derry took both barrels, as did another journalist who printed a picture of a headstone after Derry’s destruction by Donegal in Ulster.

That was a performance and result that prompted Longford manager Glenn Ryan to describe Derry as wounded animals and their display on Saturday was certainly one of a team with something to get off its chest.

That said, Longford were worthy winners. Ryan’s side twice absorbed McGoldrick’s sucker punches in a second period that was extended beyond the 45-minute mark after a minor neck injury to Longford midfielder John Keegan occasioned a 10-minute delay shortly after the restart.

On each occasion they responded with a spate of points, with corner-forward Sean McCormack the tormentor-in-chief throughout. McCormack ended with 11 points, nine from frees, in what was a display of point-taking par excellence.

His importance to Longford was such that none of his colleagues managed more than a single score and perhaps the most impressive aspect to Longford’s victory was the fact that they succeeded without playing near their best.

Longford teams of old routinely depended on displays plucked from the top drawer to achieve results like this one but the fact is this was a game Ryan’s team were expected to win. A glance at the respective team-sheets confirmed as much.

The Midlanders have a core of experienced and capable players sprinkled throughout the park, whereas Derry were fielding a team dotted with less familiar names as Brennan coped with a side minus eight of those who started last season’s Ulster final.

“I just feel sorry for the players,” said Brennan who refused to say whether he would stay on as manager. “I am proud of the players even though it has been a topsy-turvy season. The number of players we had available for today is proof that we just don’t have a strong enough panel.

“It is not rocket science. I have to find players. We had a few players playing their first campaign in inter-county football. We have to live with that, but it would be better if we had a stronger panel.”

Scorers for Longford: S McCormack 0-11 (9f), C P Smyth, M Quinn, B McElvaney, F McGee, B Kavanagh, P McCormack 0-1 each.

Scorers for Derry: B McGoldrick 2-0; Paddy Bradley 0-3 (1f); J McCamley 0-2; M Lynch, E Bradley, E McGuckin 0-1 each.

Subs for Longford: D Barden for Keegan (45); D McCormack for N Mulligan (56); P Foy for McGee (73); P Gill for McElligott (77).

Subs for Derry: C Gilligan for N Donaghy (56); N Forrester for E Bradley (75); J Diver for Patsy Bradley (76); B McCallion for Lynch (78).

Referee: Michael Duffy (Sligo).