Leinster U20FC: Westmeath edge Longford on penalties, wins for Dubs and Offaly

Dublin given serious test by Wicklow while Faithfuls hold off Wexford surge

Dublin's Seán Foran holds off Tom Moran Wicklow during the EirGrid Leinster GAA Football U20 Championship Quarter-Final at Parnell Park. Picture: Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

Leinster U20 FC

Kevin Egan

There were three tight finishes in the Leinster U-20 football championship tonight, none tighter than at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park in Longford where Westmeath advanced past their hosts thanks to a 6-5 penalty shootout in their favour.

This was an incredibly even contest over the course of the 80 minutes of play, though both sides had pronounced periods of dominance. Longford fired in two goals either side of the first half water break to take a 2-3 to 0-4 lead, but Westmeath played some superb football in response, inspired by Brandon Kelly.

He shot 1-5 in total in the contest, touching in a vital goal before half time to reduce the gap.

Senan Baker – sone of Clare hurler Ollie Baker – made an incredible start when he came on as a half time substitute, carrying the ball 30 metres and picking out the top corner of the net with his first possession, and Westmeath went on to build up a four-point lead before Longford completely took over in the middle third. Daniel Reilly got a goal to draw the sides level with 15 to play, but despite Longford continuing to monopolise possession, they struggled to make it count on the scoreboard and in the end needed a Jack Duggan mark with the last play of normal time to send the match into an extra 20 minutes.

Westmeath got yet more impact off the bench when Jordan McDonnell emerged to kick three sublime points, but again Longford hung in and again Duggan sent the game to another phase at 3-9 to 2-12, where Westmeath were to prevail on the second sudden death round of penalties.

Westmeath will now play Offaly in the semi-final next week, after the Faithful County held off a late surge from Wexford at Wexford Park. It finished 1-10 to 1-9 to the visiting side, who looked comfortable in the first half as they built up an 0-7 to 0-3 lead, with all three of Wexford’s scores coming from frees.

Jack Bryant added a penalty for Offaly early in the second half but Wexford rallied. Shane Pettitt scored a series of frees and scrambled a late goal to bring his tally to 1-5, but it wasn’t quite enough.

Finally at Parnell Park, Dublin prevailed over Wicklow by 1-12 to 1-8, though it took two stoppage time points from the Dubs to make sure of the win. Wicklow had their chances and will rue some of their missed opportunities in front of goal, not to mention Cillian McDonald’s penalty which he elected to send over the bar, as 0-6 from Fionn Murray, three points from Luke Swan and a goal from Seán Foran sent Dublin through to a semi-final clash with Meath next week.