Longford run generates momentum

GAELIC GAMES: No matter what happens in Croke Park on Sunday the feeling in Longford is that this has been their best summer for football since the senior team lost to Kerry by two points in the All-Ireland semi-final final of 1968. This time it's the Longford minor team who are creating the hype, contesting the semi-final against Derry.

With their Leinster final win in July - a first for Longford minors since 1938 - the football fever quickly reached long-forgotten levels. After easing past Leitrim in the quarter-final the return date to Croke Park was set, and all 8,500 of the county's tickets were swept up. Just over a quarter of the population are thus set to exit the county on Sunday.

The man trying to keep a lid on all the hype is manager Jimmy Gacquin, a native of Roscommon and now a teacher in the breeding ground of Longford GAA, St Mel's College. Two years ago he took over the county minors, but he feels the success this summer has not been totally surprising.

"I suppose a number of things have come together this year," says Gacquin. "The team itself has been developing over the last number of years. A lot of players already had medals at some grade of football, like the St Mel's College players who have Leinster medals at under-16 grade. The Moyne players have All-Ireland B medals. And there are other players as well with Fr Manning Cup medals from last year.

"So I think all the players have tasted a bit of success, and that has given them a degree of confidence going into all the games we've played this year. They want to win games now, and they believe they can win."

The momentum began in the first game, when they came from behind to beat Wicklow in Aughrim. Louth, Carlow and Kilkenny were all easily defeated and then the win over Offaly - traditionally one of the big guns in Leinster - added even greater belief.

Reigning champions Dublin fell in the semi-final and favourites Meath were toppled by three points in the final.

"They do have an appetite for success now," says Gacquin. "Even when they won Leinster they seemed to take it all in their stride, but a big part of a good team is coping with the attention that success brings. And I think they've done that very well.

"There was always a danger that once they won in Leinster they would be happy enough. But against Leitrim in the quarter-final they showed just as much hunger for victory, and while they didn't play particularly well, they got what they wanted in the end."

Ulster champions Derry stand between them and becoming the first Longford team to make an All-Ireland final since the junior side in 1937. Gacquin has been studying videos of the opposition and perceives a robust Ulster side.

"They have big physical players around the middle of the field and they have good forwards as well. All the attributes you'd expect from a good Derry team."

Longford have class players throughout the field, with wing back Declan O'Reilly and corner forward Michael Hussey consistently standing out. An evenly-contested game beckons, but with support and momentum on their side Longford will be hardest to stop.