Leinster League 1B: Longford 20 Cill Dara 0

Longford finally got their Leinster League Division 1B off to winning ways with a resounding 20-00 victory over visiting Cill Dara.  This win has been on the cards for a while and the team finally managed to convert potential into results.

Getting points from the Kildare club was vital to shake off the prospect of being ‘paddy last’ at the end of the season.  This was an important contest psychologically to having lost out to the old foe Mullingar on a score of 15-12 in the previous outing.

The tail end of Storm Clodagh may have been tickling the country but it had very little impact on the conditions at CPL Park.  In the first fifteen minutes Longford dominated possession and used it to good effect to run in two tries from George McDermott and Joe McGowan.

McDermott crossed in the fifth minute and McGowan in the 15^th, both scores coming from well worked back moves set up by impressive forward momentum.  Colm Glynn’s conversion of the second score left it 12-00.

The home side’s dominance at lineout time in particularly blustery conditions was one of the key factors in Longford’s dominance.

A second half score from hooker Hubey Connolly and a penalty by Glynn pushed the side out to 20-00.  Not content with the difficulty of the contest Longford decided to receive two yellow cards within two minutes to battle Cill Dara with 13 men to show a little hospitality to the visitors.

A good press by the Kildare men looked as if it could see them claw back into the game, but an intercept by Joe McGowan almost got the home team the bonus point.  The winger ran the length of the pitch, but was caught just metres from the line.  The ref adjudged the offload to be forward, giving Cill Dara a welcome break.

Longford were to cross again before the finish.  Aaron Beirne made a foray past the try line, but his grounding let him down.  This essential home win brings Longford’s points tally to five.  Still in the basement, but heading in the right direction

Ashtown Lane now beckons for Longford next fixture.  Taking on Wicklow in their home patch is difficult at any time.  They have five win under their belt from seven games, including a 06-17 win over Longford in the first outing of the season.

The men in black know what they are up against and will be looking to build on the momentum of this win.

Dylan Quinn, Huby Connolly, Justin Forde, Aaron Beirne, Benny McManus, Clifford Richardson, Alistair McCormack, Derek Farrell, Finbar McGowan, Colm Glynn, Kieran Kennedy, Kurt Beeney, James Connolly, Joe McGowan, George McDermott

Kevin Coffey, Lorcan Connolly, Liam Brady, Karl Murray, Peter Kirk.