Longford 1-11 Meath 0-11:Longford advanced to the last four in the O'Byrne Cup football competition when scoring a fully-deserved victory over an understrength Meath side under floodlights at Simonstown, Navan last night.

Experienced corner forward Padraic Davis was the star of the show for the midlanders with the accurate number 15 scoring 1-6 of the winning total.

Longford laid the foundations for their victory in the opening 18 minutes when building up a 1-4 to 0-1 advantage.

Davis grabbed 1-3 in that decisive period with the goal coming after nine minutes when he completed a passing movement with captain Trevor Smullen supplying the final pass.

With corner forwards Ollie Murphy and Daithi Regan showing up well, Meath came more into the game and got the deficit down to two points (0-6 to 1-5) at the break.

However, that was as close as the home side got, despite having the advantage of the strong breeze in the second half. A fitter and more determined Longford side kept their noses in front to earn a trip to Enniscorthy for a clash with Wexford next Sunday.

LONGFORD: D Sheridan; D Brady, C Confrey, D Ledwith; M Mulleady, E Ledwith, A O'Connor; L Keenan, J O'Callaghan (0-1); M Lennon, P Barden, P Ross; T Smullen (0-1), P Shanley (0-1), P Davis (1-6). Subs: R Clyne for Lennon, D Barden (0-1) for Shanley, N Sheridan (0-1) for Ross.

MEATH: R McKeown; C Reynolds, H Traynor, T Dillon; S Kenny, D Fay, N McKeigue; H Gribben, D Gallagher (0-1); D Curtis (0-1), C McCarthy (0-1), P Shankey (0-1); D Regan (0-4), A Moyles, O Murphy (0-3). Subs: P Nugent for Dillon, M O'Dowd for Nugent, R McGee for Moyles, S McKeigue for McCarthy, J Sheridan for Gallagher.

Referee: G McKenny (Louth).