Longford 'keeper spurred on by unbeaten run

Long-serving goalkeeper Damien Sheridan has said he is keen that Longford's journey in Leinster continue long beyond Sunday's quarter-final against Wexford at Croke Park.

Days like Sunday, May 20 do not come around too often for the footballers of Longford. That evening they celebrated their county's first Leinster Senior Football Championship win over Laois since 1968.

There has been steady progression made by Sheridan and company since Kildare legend Glenn Ryan took the managerial reins back at the end of 2008.

Allianz League Division 4 champions last year, Longford once again made the step up this year, taking Division 3 silverware along the way by virtue of a 1-12 to 0-13 win over their opponents this weekend - Wexford.

Longford had not won a game in the Leinster Championship in four years. But then came last month's success against Laois and Sheridan is delighted to have that monkey off their backs.

"All year the Laois game was the game that we were targeting and the game we wanted to win," he said.

"We haven't done great in Leinster in all of my time involved. The Laois game was a game we definitely wanted to win.

"It didn't look great at half-time, but it showed the character of the lads in our dressing room that they really dug deep and played well in the second half and fought for every ball. I think we fully got what we deserved."

It is onwards and upwards now for Ryan's charges as they aim to beat Wexford for the third time this year, having claimed a victory in the group stages of the league as well as that final triumph.

"All going well we can continue this run. We are still undefeated for the year and that is something that is hugely encouraging for us," admitted Sheridan.

"We just have to keep driving it on and getting as many good results as we can."

The Dromard clubman says Wexford are a team much like Longford and that there is good respect between the two counties.

"In my time involved since the early 2000s, Longford and Wexford have played against each other a lot of times in the Leinster Championship.

"Again this weekend it will be no different, Wexford have been eyeing us up for a long time from the league final.

"It's everything that they have prepared for and that is now going to come to fruition this time.

"They will know a lot about us, they will have seen our game against Laois and Wexford will be mad keen to get revenge on us from the league final.

"Again we are confident in our own ability. We are confident about this game and we want to keep our run going.

"We make no qualms about that, we want to keep playing well and we want to keep getting the wins."