Wexford time it well as Longford fail to finish

LEINSTER SFC QUARTER-FINAL: Wexford 1-13 Longford 0-15:LOVE COULDN'T tear them apart last Sunday – and only pure luck could this time.

Just how Longford managed to lose this game could haunt them for months, years even, but all that matters for now is how exactly Wexford won it.

Behind almost throughout, watching nervously as Longford squandered one goal chance after another, they raised an incredible spurt in the last five minutes, kicking four points without reply, including Redmond Barry’s superb winner in the 70th minute.

Longford still had 60 seconds and two chances to force extra-time, but Seán McCormack, one of their best players all day, hit uncharacteristically short, and substitute James McGivney miscued a pass. With that came the lonesome, final whistle – with no description necessary of what happened next.

Not only was it Longford’s first defeat of the league and championship, but having twice got the better of Wexford in the league – and probably letting the chance slip last Sunday too – it was a truly crushing defeat, in every sense, and the players reacted accordingly. It won’t have entirely undone all the wonderful progress of late, but to lose to Wexford when it mattered most, and when they should have been halfway home, plotting the downfall of Dublin in the Leinster semi-final final, must cut to the bone.

No surprise then that Longford manager Glenn Ryan actually needed to compose himself afterwards, admitting that it was “very, very hard to take” and no doubt his players would agree. They’ll have regrets alright, too many to mention – but two glorious goal chances in the first half, and maybe the best chance of the lot in the second half, were all sent wide.

Paul Barden was typically inspirational and McCormack was in awesome form, hitting 0-6, including two from play. Mickey Quinn underlined his exceptional talents and Brian Kavanagh popped up for a couple of big scores, but no matter how hard they huffed and puffed they just couldn’t blow Wexford away.

Yet they should have. With no introductions necessary, Longford were far more adamant from the start that this would be their day.

Neither Paddy Byrne nor Ciarán Lyng started for Wexford (Lyng ruled out with a groin strain that required an injection before last Sunday’s draw, and now requires rest) and whatever about being outclassed early on, Wexford appeared outnumbered – which can only be explained by Longford’s stepping up quicker.

Wexford looked nervous throughout the first half, and played like it too – racking up seven wides in the opening period, the majority of which should really have gone over, had complacency not got in the way. Their only real spark came early, against the run of play, when Barry turned full back Barry Gilleran and charged at goal – shooting right and low and unstoppable.

Kavanagh twice showed a clean pair of heels – and hands – on Graeme Molloy, hitting two lovely points from play in the first half – and so soon cancelled out Barry’s goal, then going a point up on 20 minutes.

Against that background came two big goal chances in first half.Paul Barden was clean through on 12 minutes, yet rifled the wrong side of the left netting – and Kavanagh had an even better chance on 30 minute but shot wide.

Still, as if on cue, Paul Barden stepped up to sustain Longford’s advantage in through to the break – his third point of the afternoon deftly placed between the posts to ensure the slight yet important edge: 0-8 to 1-4.

There were precious few tell-tale signs in the second half that Wexford would spring such a dramatic victory. McCormack hit the first point of the half, while Wexford’s wide count continued.

Paul Barden’s second big goal chance came 15 minutes in, and had he been a little cuter, rather than just thundering, he might have chosen his spot that bit wiser.

It was 20 minutes into the half before Ben Brosnan hit his first score, although that proved significant. Brosnan added three more before the end, including the crucial leveller on 67 minutes.

Adrian Flynn also got into the scoring act in the final minutes and that had Longford shaking in their boots, and coupled with obvious and understandable exhaustion, their game fell apart.

Not that there’s any arguing with the class of composure shown by Barry to fire over the winner, from a difficult left angle, from some 45-metres – to seal the daunting yet welcome challenge of playing Dublin in the Leinster semi-final in Croke Park on July 1st.

WEXFORD: 1 A Masterson; 2 N Murphy, 3 G Molloy, 4 R Tierney; 5 A Flynn (0-1), 6 B Malone, 7 L Chin; 8 D Waters, 9 R Quinlivan; 21 C Carty, 12 B Brosnan (0-4, two frees), 14 E Bradley; 24 PJ Banville (0-1), 11 S Roche (0-5, two frees), 15 R Barry (1-2). Subs: 10 P Byrne for Quinlivan, 19 C Morris for Carty (both 46 mins), 25 J Leacy for Bradley (52 mins), 26 J Wadding for Murphy (57 mins), 20 J Holmes for Tierney (65 mins). Yellow cards: A Flynn (22 mins), B Malone (28 mins).

LONGFORD: 1 D Sheridan; 2 D Brady, 3 B Gilleran, 4 D Reilly; 5 C Smyth, 6 M Quinn (0-1), 7 S Mulligan (0-1); 8 B McElvaney, 9 J Keegan; 10 D Barden, 11 P Barden (0-4), 12 N Mulligan; 13 D McElligott, 14 B Kavanagh (0-2), 15 S McCormack (0-6, 0-3 frees). Subs: 21 P McCormack for N Mulligan (half time), 20 P Kelly (0-1) for D Barden (45 mins), 24 J McGivney for McElligot (62 mins), 18 P Foy for S Mulligan 66). Yellow cards: N Mulligan (22).

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork).

‘It was that squad spirit that got them through’

Another tale of two Ryans here – this time with one of them telling us it wasn’t just about luck, and the other hardly able to say anything at all.

“Well I don’t know about luck,” says Jason Ryan, the Wexford manager. “I think it was more about solid endeavour, from start to finish, when things didn’t go our way, the guys kept on going.

“And they’re learning all the time. We’d only one player in the same position as 2008, when we made the All-Ireland semi-final, and that was Anthony Masterson in goal. So we’ve a lot of new faces, and were missing players as well. So I’m very proud of the group, because it was that squad spirit that got them through the game.”

Whatever about Wexford’s heart, surely some of their heart too must go out to Longford? “Yes, I do feel for them,” says Ryan, “But who’s to say we won’t meet them again this year? But it’s Dublin again, yes, for a change. We’re fairly familiar, but if you’re not motivated to play the All-Ireland champions you’re in the wrong game. But we’re delighted to be there, instead of looking at the qualifier draw.”

Glenn Ryan, the Longford manager, was truly lost for words, especially when recounting the number of chances they’d missed: “We did, yeah, we did. Not taking it away from them, they kicked some great scores, but there’s no doubt about it. It’s one we left behind.

"Even if we'd taken one goal chance, maybe. So it will be hard to lift them after this. I'm not going to say it won't. We'll feel sorry for ourselves for a few days. But I think these fellas are made of pretty strong stuff. It's a tough one to take, no doubt about it. But you're competing at that level and we showed a huge amount of positives but we fell short. They deserve to have better days." Ian O'Riordan