Longford booked their place in next Saturday’s Lory Meagher Cup Final at Croke Park, with a seven point victory over Cavan at Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday, as Adrian Moran’s charges won by 0-27 to 2-14.
Joe O’Brien was the chief marksman for the victors, scoring 0-13, with ten points from play, while Canice Maher top-scored for Cavan with 1-02.
The Breffni men were out of the blocks the quickest, building up a four point lead after six minutes.
Canice Maher and Fiachra Hughes converted frees, Diarmaid Carney fired over from a tight angle after catching Mark Moffet’s sideline cut, and Maher added his second score from all of seventy yards out.
Longford replied with the two of the next three scores. O’Brien slotted over a superb point from a central position from inside his own half on seven minutes, and Paddy Lynam added a tenth minute free, with Jack Barry pointing for Cavan just before Lynam’s point.
The next four points went to the visitors as they took the lead for the first time on fifteen minutes, leading by 0-06 to 0-05.
O’Brien registered two fine points running in from the left, Lynam fired over a free, and O’Brien was again on target, this time latching onto a superb diagonal David Buckley pass before shooting over a brilliant point from out on the left.
Cillian Sheanon then equalised for Cavan in the seventeenth minute with the best score of the first half. Sheanon embarked on a mazy run down the left evading several Longford challenges, he cut-back inside, and split the Longford uprights with a stunning point.
Longford went two points clear with a seventy-five yard free scored by Buckley followed by a fine score from open play from O’Brien.
Cavan’s Hughes and O’Brien with another point from open play left the Midlanders ahead by 0-09 to 0-07 on twenty-seven minutes.
Barry with an excellent point from out on the right reduced the gap to the minimum a minute later, but O’Brien slotted over his seventh point of the contest on thirty-one minutes to restore Longford’s two point advantage.
However, Carney responded for Cavan with the last score of the half to leave just a point between the sides with Longford leading by 0-10 to 0-09 at the interval.
Longford came out with all guns blazing for the second-half as they fired over six unanswered points to increase their advantage to seven by the forty-third minute.
Cathal Mullane and O’Brien scored two points each, Lynam, and Cian Kavanagh with his opening score, put Longford up by 0-16 to 0-09.
James Smith and Sheanon responded for Cavan with two points, to reduce the arrears to five on forty-five minutes.
Adrian Moran’s troops then hit another purple patch adding five points without reply. O’Brien with three points (one free), a Buckley free, and Lynam’s fourth point of the match, gave the visitors a ten point cushion.
Cavan’s Smith pointed on fifty-five minutes, but Mullane and Kavanagh replied to leave Longford eleven points clear on fifty-eight minutes, 0-23 to 0-12.
At this stage, Longford were cruising to a comprehensive win and a place in Saturdays Croke Park Final, but then they were rocked by the concession of two goals within a minute.
Totally against the run-of-play, the Breffni side raised the green flag in the sixty-fourth minute. Maher beat Naughton to the sliotar, flicked it over his head, caught it, and drilled a low thirty-yard shot to the corner of the Longford net beyond the despairing dive of Conor Gallagher.
Longford were then caught napping from the puck out, the ball eventually came to substitute Rory Farrell and he rattled the net.
Suddenly, the Longford lead had been reduced to just five points with five minutes of regulation time remaining, as Longford were ahead by 0-23 to 2-12.
Longford regained their composure to add the next three points, courtesy of two Adam Quinn points, and an O’Brien free, as Longford had an eight point cushion going into stoppage time.
Hughes sent the sliotar sailing over the Longford bar twice in additional time, while Mullane responded for the visitors with his fourth of the match, and as the final whistle sounded, Longford triumphed by 0-27 to 2-14 to advance to the Lory Meagher Cup Final in Croke Park.
Longford’s opponents in next Saturday’s Croke Park decider will be Louth, after they defeated Leitrim by two points in Ballinamore.
Leitrim needed a draw to reach the final, and they were a point up with three minutes remaining, and level going into stoppage time, but missed chances, and two points for Louth in the last minute of injury time from Mark Gahan and Paul Matthews means that Louth are in the final at Leitrim’s expense.
Cavan: Darren Sherodan, Liam Og Cooke, Padraig Jackson, Caolan Kelly, Mathew Hynes, Jack Barry (0-02), Phillip McCabe, Mark Moffet, Enda Shalvey, Fiachra Hughes (0-04, 3f), Canice Maher (1-02, 1f), Diarmaid Carney (0-02), James Smith (0-02), Thomas Leonard, Cillian Sheanon (0-02).
Substitutes: Rory Farrell (1-00) for Leonard (58 minutes).
Longford: Conor Gallagher, Niall Morgan, Enda Naughton, Karl Murray, Adam Quinn (0-02), David Buckley (0-02, 2f), Evan Tully, Emmett Corrigan, Paddy Lynam (0-04, 2f), Paul Barden, Cian Kavanagh (0-02), Aidan Sheridan, Joe O’Brien (0-13, 3f), Cathal Mullane (0-04), Reuben Murray.
Substitutes: Micheal Mulcahy for Barden (half-time), Keelan Cox for Tully (61 minutes), Pearse McNally for Sheridan (70 minutes), Diarmuid O’Donnell for Lynam (75 plus two minutes).
Referee: Aidan McAleer (Donegal).