Next Sunday (28/02/16) Longford Menâs first XV take on Mullingar in what is
possibly one of the most important Leinster League clashes of the season. CPL Park at the Demesne plays host to this
thrilling encounter at 3:00 pm.
The Westmeath side go into this contest two for two this year. Losing out by three points in the first
league encounter and the heavy defeat in the Midlands Plate should be enough
incentive to motivate the home side to take some points off their neighbours,
but this is going to be a difficult derby.
Falling to Mullingar on a score of 15-12 in the early part of the
season was probably the hardest result to swallow. The November clash with the old foe was the
sixth loss on the bounce for a team that would have been happy with their
steady progress as a unit, were it not for the succession of losses.
Three yellow cards to the red and grey side indicated an admirable cynicism
employed to close the game out, but Longford were unable to convert any
numerical advantage into sufficient capital for the win points they so
desperately needed.
The next encounter, the Midlands League Plate, was a more one sided
affair. The score line of 40-05
indicates an outing in which Longford failed to get out of neutral, let alone
find any high gears.
Whereas Longfordâs first clash with the Westmeath men was one of
their first positive games of this season, the second fell into the opposite
category. The post Christmas barney with
the old foe failed to grab the attention of the Longford team and the injury
dented side looked content to run through the motions on a miserable afternoon.
The last two games left in the Leinster League will determine
whether Longford will be shipping out of division 1B, facing a play off or, if
other factors fall into place, staying put.
Vital to the outcome will be the home support. If the prospect of a Mullingar Longford face
off with the stakes set so high does not induce a large turnout at CPL Park on
Sunday, then it is difficult to see what would.
Kick off at the Demesne is 3:00 pm.
