| Handy Hanley lifts Longford
By Larry Cooney
 A
fourth minute Ronan Hanley goal set-up Longford for a deserved six-point
victory over Warwickshire at Pairc Na hEireann on Sunday but the men from
Leinster were made to fight all the way.
The visitors were first out of the blocks with a long-range point from
an Eoin Donnellan free after only three minutes as they started the game
in a higher gear than the hosts.
Within a minute after a pass from Martin Heffernan, Longford full-forward
Ronan Hanley rounded Kiernan Boxwell for the only goal of the game.
Although the hosts recovered well with points from Mark Lyons and Dickie
O’Brien and a neat score from Mel Guinan to leave just a point between
the sides after 14 minutes Longford were soon back in control.
Four unanswered points in the second quarter from Heffernan, O’Brien
and Hannon and another Donnellan free gave the Leinster men the perfect
platform for victory as the first-half ended 1-5 to 0-4 in their favour.
Warwickshire could have scored two goals just before the interval however
when Dickie O’Brien shot just wide of the right post after a Longford
defensive blunder after 23 minutes.
O’Brien was on target just before the half-time whistle but his
pointed effort could so easily have been a goal after he burst through
the Longford defensive line.
Although the exchanges were quite even for much of the second-half, Longford
always had the edge in attack.
After Lyons and Donnellan traded two pointed frees in the third quarter,
the visitors eventually asserted themselves in the final quarter with
points from Casey and Hanley in addition to two more Donnellan frees securing
a thoroughly-deserved victory.
Points from Martin Morrissey and Dickie O’Brien just about kept
Warwickshire in contention but the hosts were playing catch-up hurling
for much of the game after their concession of Hanley’s early goal.
To their credit Warwickshire battled all the way to the final whistle
and will have benefited from their involvement in this competition.
Warwickshire manager Michael Collins will have been pleased with the performance
of his defence especially full-back Kieran Boxwell, centre-back Mark Lyons
and wing-backs Damien Coffey and Enda Barron.
Wayne Healey had some success in midfield while Dickie O’Brien was
Warwickshire’s most effective forward.
Former Nicky Rackard Cup Champion 15 winner Martin Morrissey scored one
neat point midway through the second-half but that score was just a glimpse
of the kind of form the Wexfordman is capable of producing.
Teams and scorers:
Longford: J Minnock, B Stakem, S Browne, A Tobin, C Finucane, E Donnellan
0-6 (0-5)f, A Corcoran, S Hannon 0-1, E Corcoran, N Casey 0-1, J O’Brien
0-1, M Heffernan 0-1, N Cox, R Hanley 1-1, J Casey. Subs: S Connolly for
E Corcoran, E Daly for J Casey.
Warwickshire: L Boxwell, Denis Kelly, K Boxwell, B Sharkey, D Coffey,
M Lyons 0-3 (0-2)f, E Barron, W Heaney, T Neville, M Morrissey 0-1, Des
Kelly, T Joyce, M Guinan 0-1, R O’Brien 0-3 (0-1)f, B Hogan. Subs:
J McDermott for Des Kelly. |
