Longford SFC: Slashers survive in knocking Mostrim out of the championship

Longford Slashers . . . 1-12   Mostrim . . . 1-11

Just a solitary point separated the sides in a tense and tight affair with Daire O’Brien fisting the ball over the bar in the final minute of normal time in the Group 1 last round clash at Emmet Park in Killoe on Saturday evening.

A draw would have been good enough for Mostrim to avoid a championship exit but Slashers stuck it out to survive instead after trailing by four points, 1-3 to 0-2, in the early stages of this make or break game. 

Jack Belton burst through to score the goal for Edgeworthstown with just seven minutes gone on the clock but Slashers came storming back and were on level terms at the break,  (1-6 to 1-6).

Put through by Robbie O’Connell, corner-forward Ronan Sheahan got the goal in the 29th minute in a move that was started following a timely tackle by impressive full-back - the other Ronan Sheahan. 

The ding-dong battle continued in the second half and Mostrim were back in front when Shane Kiernan (cleared to play following a successful appeal to his suspension) created the opening for James Connell to shoot over the bar in the 54th minute. 

Slashers replied immediately with a cracking strike from Daire O’Brien and the same player scored what proved to be the crucial winning point with time running out.  

LONGFORD SLASHERS: David Sheahan; Dermot Brady, Ronan Sheahan, Rory Maher; Darragh O’Connell, Gerard Flynn, Adrian Duffy; Andy Dalton (0-3), Ben Lynn; Ronan Kenny (0-1), Daire O’Brien (0-3), Cian O Nuallain; Robbie O’Connell, Robbie Clarke (0-4, 2 frees), Ronan Sheahan (1-1).

Subs:- Ruairi Clarke for R O’Connell (half-time);Sean Clarke for R Maher (40 mins); Conor Clarke for A Duffy (52 mins); Cian McGuinness for D O’Brien (injured, 60 mins). 

MOSTRIM: Ciaran Garvey; Shane Sheridan, Martin Coyle, Aaron Gallagher; Shane Campbell, Shane Kiernan, Niall Quinn; James Connell (0-1), Fintan Coyle; Alan O’Hara, Jack Belton (1-0), Ronan Courtney (0-1); Padraig Joyce (0-4, 2 marks); Tiarnan Hussey (0-2), Darragh Doherty (0-3, 2 frees).

Subs:- Caolan Hussey for J Connell (injured, 15 mins); Pearse McNally for C Garvey (injured, 20 mins); J Connell for P McNally (52 mins).

Referee: Patrick Maguire (St Mary’s Granard).

Clonguish also through to the last eight

Clonguish are also through to the last eight following their most emphatic 4-14 to 0-7 win over the already qualified Granard at the Monaduff grounds on Saturday evening. 

The quarter-finals line up is now complete and the qualifiers are as follows: 

Dromard, St Mary’s Granard, Clonguish, Longford Slashers, Killoe Emmet Og, Mullinalaghta St Columba’s, Colmcille and Rathcline.The pairings will be decided following the conclusion of the last round fixtures in Group 2 on Sunday. 

Mostrim v Carrickedmond and Abbeylara v Ballymahon are the pairings in the relegation play-offs with one team demoted to the 2024 Intermediate Championship.