Longford kept their promotion hopes alive with a five-point win over table toppers Carlow at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park this afternoon.
It's now four games unbeaten for Mike Solan’s side and they move into second in the table with two games remaining.
Both sides were assisted by the strong winds; Longford had it in the first half while it was with Carlow after the break. It was a tight opening half with nothing much between the sides.
They were level on three different occasions in the first half. Dylan Farrell fired over the opening point from a free in the second minute before a free from Conor Doyle levelled matters in the fourth minute.
Oran Kenny scored the first of his two pointers in the 26th minute to put three between the sides. Points from Paddy McDonnell and full-back Dara Curran cut the gap to one with 30 minutes gone on the clock. In the final five minutes before half-time the lead changed twice.
A lovely move from Carlow, which stretched the Longford defence, saw Conor Crowley set up Chris Blake and he fired to the net. Carlow were ahead by one point.
A well-struck two pointer from Matthew Carey in stoppage time edged Longford ahead by one point 0-11 to 1-07. The sides were level again barely two minutes into the second half when Mikey Bambrick kicked over this first point.
Carlow got their first two pointer of the game one minute later when Conor Doyle kicked over a fine effort. The sides were level for the fifth time in the 40th minute before Longford created a goal chance in the 41st minute but James Moran drove his effort wide.
Such was Carlow’s accuracy when they created chances, they registered their first wide in the 44th minute. Longford had another goal chance in the 48th minute but Liam Glennon’s low drive was blocked on the line. Carlow went down the other end and levelled with a point from Hulton.
Longford had pressed for a goal and it eventually came in the 65th minute when James Moran fired a powerful strike to the net to give them a three point lead.
Farrell (free) and Moran’s younger brother Paddy put five between the sides in the 70th minute. Carlow couldn’t eat into the lead and Longford held on for a deserved win.
Longford: Eoin McGuinness; Paddy Fox, Ryan Moffett, Byran Masterson; Peter Lynn, Oisin O’Toole, Dessie Reynolds; Liam Glennon, Ronan Sweeney; James Moran (1-00), Matthew Carey (0-03,1tp), Matthew Flynn (0-01); Dylan Farrell (0-06,2f), Joseph Hagan, Oran Kenny (0-06,2tp).
Subs: Cian Brady (0-01) for Moffett (h-t), Paddy Moran (0-02) for Hagan (51), Iarla O’Sullivan for Lynn (55)
Carlow: Ben McCarron; Colin Byrne, Dara Curran (0-01), Lee Moore; Niall Roche, Mark Furey, Padraig Bolger; Eoghan Ruth, Conor Doyle (0-03,1tp,1f); Paddy McDonnell (0-01), Colm Hulton (0-03,1f), Mikey Bambrick (0-3,1tp); Conor Crowley (0-01), Chris Blake (1-02,1f), Ross Dunphy.
Subs: Sean Murphy for Byrne (46), Aaron Amond for Dunphy (54), John Murphy for Bolger (61), Tadhg Roche for Curran and Liam Gavin for Crowley (68)
Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone)
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