Clonguish ease into Leinster quarter-finals

Clonguish (Longford) 2-10 Horeswood (Wexford) 0-5

Longford champions Clonguish breezed into the AIB Leinster Club Senior Football Championship quarter-finals with an impressive 2-10 to 0-5 dismissal of Wexford winners Horeswood this afternoon.

Second-half goals from Paul Barden and Ciaran Williams sealed Horeswood’s fate at Pearse Park, Longford star Barden, the Clonguish captain, proving to be the best forward on show.

He finished with a 1-4 tally, combining well throughout with his brother David and Colin Clarke, who kicked three points from frees in a one-sided first half.

Managed by Liam Doherty and Liam Belton, Clonguish powered ahead in the opening stages and never looked back, with Wexford players PJ Banville, Thomas Howlin and Ciaran Deely having little influence on proceedings.

The home side moved 0-4 to 0-0 ahead thanks to early points from Paul Barden (0-2), Clarke and David Barden, the best of the lot coming when some neat interplay between Clarke and Kevin ‘Gooch’ Burke set up Paul Barden for his second white flag.

An eleventh minute free from David Shannon opened Horeswood’s account but that proved to be their only point of the half, as Clonguish tightened their grip on this first round tie with four more points.

Two more frees from Clarke, an effort from play from Ciaran Williams and a crisply-struck ‘45’ from Paddy Dowd had the Longford men 0-8 to 0-1 to the good at the break, with Horeswood danger man Banville being marked out of the game by Brendan Burke.

Corner back Niall Collins rampaged forward to fire over Horeswood’s second point, just minutes into the second half, but despite enjoying their best spell, the Wexford side were largely wasteful in possession.

Clonguish were far more clinical in attack and by the 46th minute they had put the result beyond any doubt, leading by 2-9 to 0-2.

The brilliant Paul Barden scored 1-1 in the space of a minute, left-footing his third point before he managed to get onto a long ball from Anthony Corcoran, sidestep his man and thump a fine finish to the Horeswood net.

Williams was equally accurate when presented with a sight of goal six minutes later, with substitute Joe O’Brien playing his part in the build-up.

Dowd and Barden combined for Clonguish’s tenth point of the afternoon, and that was game over. Horeswood salvaged some pride with a trio of final points, including efforts from Banville and substitute Darren Shannon.

But those late concessions will not take the gloss off what was a very accomplished display in difficult conditions by Clonguish. With their confidence suitably boosted, they will face Westmeath champions Garrycastle at the same venue in two weeks’ time.