It was a case of third time lucky for Leitrim against Longford in this Lory Meagher Championship clash at Avant Money Páirc Sean Mac Diarmada, as a last gasp penalty converted by Joe Murray gave the home side a one point victory over the Midlanders on a full-time score of 4-09 to 0-20.
Longford had beaten Leitrim twice in the league, by 1-point and 10-point margins, the latter margin in the league semi-final, and with just a minute of stoppage time remaining, it looked like Longford would complete a hat-trick of victories as they were two points up, but that dramatic last minute finish turned the game on it’s head.
Longford were missing the suspended Paddy Lynam, the injured Karl Murray and the exam tied Micheal Mulcahy from the panel.
Cian Kavanagh started the scoring for Longford in the first minute with a sumptuous point from just over 60 yards out.
Leitrim’s star forward Joe Murray drew the sides level with a free a minute later, and then in the fourth minute, Leitrim delivered a huge blow to Longford as James McNabola fired a brilliant low diagonal shot to the bottom left corner of the visitors’ net.
Cathal Mullane scored a brace of points for Longford while in-between those scores, Murray fired over another free for Leitrim, as the home side led by 1-02 to 0-03 after seven minutes.
Longford missed a glorious chance to raise a green flag on eleven minutes. Emmet Corrigan won possession on the left despite being challenged by two Leitrim defenders, he superbly charged past them, evaded a third defender, but with just keeper Clement Cunniffe to beat, he fired his shot just inches wide of the far post.
Murray extended the Leitrim advantage to 3-points with his third free of the match, however, he should have put six points between the sides in the twenty-second minute, but he pulled a good goal opportunity wide.
Gavin O’Hagan increased the lead to 4-points with a classy point from seventy yards out on twenty-three minutes.
Longford then went on a superb scoring spree of five unanswered points to edge ahead by a point approaching half-time.
Joe O’Brien with three frees, Mullane, and John Mulhern all on target in an eight minute spell.
McNabola responded for Leitrim but another score from O’Brien, this time from play, gave Longford a narrow 1-point interval lead, with Adrian Moran’s troops ahead by 0-09 to 1-05 at half-time.
Just like he did in the first-half, Kavanagh slotted over the opening point of the new half with a monster score from seventy yards out, while a fine point from David Buckley increased the advantage to 3-points.
Just as Longford were getting back on top, disaster struck for the visitors on forty-three minutes when Leitrim got their second goal in the forty-third minute.
Half-time substitute, Diarmuid Kelleher, stormed forward and he played a perfect pass into the path of the overlapping Karl McDermott, and his powerful finish rattled the Longford net to level the contest
The home side then added two more points on forty-five and forty-six minutes, courtesy of Murray and McNabola. Suddenly, from being three points down, Leitrim were two points clear.
Back came Longford with the next three scores, all frees from O’Brien, to retake the lead, only for Gavin O’Hagan to equalise with a fifty-fourth minute free.
Longford missed their second good goal chance of the contest in the fifty-eighth minute. Reuben Murray picked out Evan Tully but his shot lacked power enabling Leitrim keeper Cunniffe to produce a good save.
Murray edged Longford ahead again a minute later with point, but Longford conceded their third goal on the hour mark, as Brendan Delaney fired to the visitors net with a twenty yard strike.
Again, Longford responded in fine style with two more points from O’Brien (one free) to level matters, before Murray from play restored Leitrim’s 1-point advantage on sixty-four minutes.
Longford looked to have done enough to win the match as they knocked over three unanswered points. Substitute Paul Barden with a glorious long-range score, O’Brien with another free, and Adam Quinn, all on target, as Longford were two points up, O-20 to 3-09 in stoppage time.
As the clock ticked into the last minute of added on time, a desperate Leitrim side launched one final assault, and in a crazy finish, they were awarded two penalties.
The first one was awarded after Aidan Sheridan was adjudged to have committed a foul. Up stepped Joe Murray, and he blasted home the penalty to put Leitrim ahead by a single point.
Within seconds, Leitrim were back on the attack and Keelan Cox had no other option but to foul, but this time, Murray’s penalty was saved by Longford keeper, Conor Gallagher.
However, time was up and the referee blew the final whistle as Leitrim produced a win from the jaws of defeat to emerge victorious by 4-09 to 0-20.
Up next for Longford is a home match next Sunday at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park against Lancashire.
Scorers: Leitrim: Joe Murray (1-05, 3f), James McNabola(1-02), Brendan Delaney (1-00), Karl McDermott (1-00), Gavin O’Hagan (0-02, 1f).
Scorers: Longford: Joe O’Brien (0-10, 8f), Cathal Mullane (0-03), Cian Kavanagh (0-02), John Mulhern (0-01), David Buckley (0-01), Reuben Murray (0-01), Paul Barden (0-01), Adam Quinn (0-01).
Leitrim: Clement Cunniffe, Paul Lenehan, David McGovern, Kevin Clerkin, Conor Hackett, Karl McDermott, Aaron McDermott, Martin Feeney, Cathal O’Donovan, Brendan Delaney, Senan Keane, Gavin O’Hagan, James McNabola, Sean Markham, Joe Murray.
Substitutes: Diarmuid Kelleher for Aaron McDermott (35 minutes), Michael O’Brien for Keane (66 minutes).
Longford: Conor Gallagher, Niall Moran, Enda Naughton, Keelan Cox, Adam Quinn, David Buckley, Aidan Sheridan, John Mulhern, Evan Tully, Johnny Casey, Cian Kavanagh, Reuben Murray, Joe O’Brien, Cathal Mullane, Emmet Corrigan.
Substitutes: Daire Regan for Enda Naughton (63 minutes), Paul Barden for John Mulhern (66 minutes).