Longford captain Johnny Casey pictured in action against Warwickshire in the NHL Division 3B clash at Páirc na hÉireann, Birmingham on Saturday
Five first half points (4 frees) from centre-half-forward David Buckley gave the Longford senior hurlers a decisive edge as they registered their first win of the new season against Warwickshire at Páirc na hÉireann, Birmingham on Saturday.
Longford . . . 2-10 Warwickshire . . . 1-6
With both teams coming into the National League clash seeking a first victory in Division 3B, Longford’s rapid start proved just the tonic for manager Adrian Moran as he recovers from back surgery.
That start was emphatically launched with Longford’s opening attack from the off, early pressure forcing a fine save from home goalkeeper Paddy Hands before Slashers corner-forward Ronan Sheahan slotted to the net off the rebound.
For a team seeking to bounce back from an opening round defeat to Cavan, it proved the perfect boost as they took the game by the scruff of the neck to forge an eight-point advantage by half-time, 1-8 to 0-3, with Reuben Murray shooting three scores.
Longford added another 1-2 to their tally against the wind in the second half with Dan Crossan scoring the goal in the 51st minute.
Next up are Lancashire in two weeks time who will head to Glennon Brothers Pearse Park in a confident mood after scoring a strong 3-11 to 0-14 success against previously unbeaten Cavan on Saturday.
WARWICKSHIRE: P Hands; S Jordan, T Kelly, R Murray; P Crehan, N Eames, D Maloney; J Collins, J Grealish; B Fallon, A Hands, D Ryan; N Lenihan, L Hands, A Hanley.
Subs:- O Coffey for D Ryan (35 mins); D King for A Hanley (44 mins); K Murphy for P Crehan (54 mins); E McWilliams for Maloney (65 mins).
LONGFORD: P Burke; J Casey, K Murray, D Regan; A Quinn, E Allen, I Dolan; C Flynn, P Lynam (0-1, f); R Murray (0-3), D Buckley (0-5, 4f), R Maher; D Crossan (1-0), E Tully (0-1), R Sheahan (1-0).
Subs:- F Dolan for J Casey (60 mins); M Hawes for E Tully (65 mins).
Referee: J. Judge (Mayo)
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.