This first round All-Ireland football qualifier at Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday was in the main a disappointing affair.
While the wind blew mainly across the field it did marginally favour the side playing towards the scoreboard end of the ground but Longford’s short-passing game and slow build-up took the elements out of the equation.
David McGivney landed a first-minute free for the visitors and Diarmuid Walshe opened the scoring for Carlow with a point from play in the ninth minute.
Longford created the best chances but were unable to pull the trigger when space opened up for them.
However, the pressure eventually told when Colm P Smyth raided down the left and his pass into the small square caused enough confusion for James McGivney to poke home from close in.
Another Walshe point narrowed the gap while Darragh Foley added a point from play for Carlow but Longford continued to enjoy the better of the exchanges.
Their half-backs Darren Quinn (2) and Smyth got forward to score points that helped the visitors into a 1-5 to 0-5 interval lead.
Carlow never showed in the second period but it took Longford a while to wear them down.
Their shot choices were iffy to say the least as over the course of the game they shot 18 wides. It was death by a thousand cuts not just for the home side but for the supporters, who witnessed a poor contest.
The second Longford goal arrived with just a minute to go in the game when Patrick Fox broke forward from deep and showed his forwards how to do it when finding the net from close range.
Longford couldn’t do much more than they did. They are in the drum for the draw for the second round of the qualifiers while the Carlow Rising phenomenon is all but over.
Longford: Paddy Collum; Patrick Fox (1-0), Donal McElligott, Barry O’Farrell; Colm P. Smyth (0-1), Padraig McCormack, Darren Quinn (0-2); John Keegan (0-1), David McGivney (0-3fs); Gary Rogers (0-1), Andrew Farrell, Michael Quinn; Daniel Mimnagh(0-1f), James McGivney (1-1), Darragh Doherty.
Subs: Joseph Hagan (0-1) for Farrell (43 mins), Shane Kenny for Doherty (53 mins), Aidan McElligott for Rogers (56 mins), Mark Hughes for McCormack (62 mins), Conor Farrell for Quinn (66 mins), Kevin Gilmore for Mimnagh (69 mins).
Carlow: Robert Sansom; Liam Roberts, Shane Redmond, Conor Lawlor; Benny Kavanagh, Daniel St Ledger, Ciaran Moran; Jordan Morrissey (0-1), Eoghan Ruth; Diarmuid Walshe (0-4,2fs), Sean Gannon, Conor Doyle; Darragh O’Brien, Darragh Foley (0-2, 1f), John Murphy.
Subs: Danny Moran for Roberts (53 mins), Josh Moore for Murphy (55 mins), Hugh Gahan for Ruth (62 mins), Jamie Clarke for O’Brien (63 mins).
Referee: Ciaran Branagan (Down)
