LEINSTER JFC FINAL Longford 0-11 Louth 1-8: PAURAIC SHANLEY was the hero for Longford with an injury-time point to secure a replay against Louth in the Leinster junior football championship final at Croke Park yesterday.

Shanley was one of Longford’s better players, keeping them in touch in the first half with a brace of points.

They trailed at the interval by 0-7 to 0-4 though, with Louth playing by far the better football and Hugh McGinn proving a handful for the Longford defence, scoring five points in the opening period.

When midfielder Richard Brennan’s goaled in the 36th minute, it looked like Louth would be claiming their 10th title and first since 1961. By that stage Longford had introduced Stephen Philips, a late addition to the substitutes’ bench, and he slotted two wonderful points from play and another from a free to help reduce the margin to the minimum.

Referee Joe Curley correctly allotted five minutes of injury time after a long stoppage to treat injured Louth attacker Kevin Rogers and Shanley landed a point from a difficult angle to set up that replay, on Wednesday July 8th.

LONGFORD: S Waters; F Brady, M Duffy, N Vance; J McEntire (0-1), J Kane, F Kavanagh; K Diffley, M Reynolds; T Glendenning, P Shanley (0-3), P McKeon; S Doyle (0-1), C Flynn (0-2, one free), S Cox (0-1). Subs: P Reynolds for M Reynolds (21 mins), S Phillips (0-3, one free)for Glendenning (40 mins), J McCormack for Doyle (41 mins), P Gill for Flynn (47 mins), F Kelly for Diffley (55 mins).

LOUTH: S Connor; T Costello, C Goss, K Moran; S Brennan, G Moran, P Nixon; R Brennan (1-0), D Devenney; C Rafferty (0-1), D Maguire, S McCann; K Rogers (0-1), H McGinn (0-5, two frees), N Conlon. Subs: C Matthews for McCann (29 mins), J Clarke (0-1)for Costello (36 mins), D Byrne for Rogers (56 mins).

Referee: J Curley(Meath).