Four off as Longford advance
LONGFORD cruised past Louth in Drogheda yesterday in a game which saw four red cards issued.
Denis Connerton’s side sprinted for victory at the end of the first half when Robbie Smyth hit three points to give his side a 0-9 to 0-5 interval lead.
The visitors had an ideal start to the second half when Liam Connerton’s converted penalty put them seven points clear.
Smyth received his marching orders on 57 minutes but the game was killed off as a contest in the 63rd minute when Tommy Durnin picked up a second yellow for Louth, who finished with 12 men after Patrick Reilly and Burns received red cards in stoppage-time. Louth: C Lynch; P Rath, J Bingham, K Murphy (A Reid 37); J Stewart (D Byrne 28), D McMahon, A Williams; J Califf (D Crilly 55), A McDonnell; R Moore (R Burns 40), P Smith (T Durnin 40), B Duffy; P Reilly, E O’Connor, J McEneaney (G McSorley 46). YeLLow cards: T Durnin 48, P Reilly 49. red card: T Durnin 63, P Reilly 72, R Burns 73. scorers: E O’Connor 1-0, J Califf 0-3 (2f), R Burns (1f), J Bingham 0-2, T Durnin, J McEneaney, G McSorley (f) 0-1. Longford: P Collum; D Brady (R Brady 74), P McCormack, B Gilleran (A Farrell 62); D McElligott, M Quinn, D Reynolds (P McGee 73); J Keegan, D McGivney (C Berry 67); D Masterson, J McGivney (L Moran 65), D Mimnagh; R Smyth, L Connerton, B McKeon (C Farrelly 70). YeLLow cards: D Masterson 28; B Gilleran 38, R Smyth 43 & 57. red card: R Smyth 57. scorers: R Smyth 0-7 (4f), L Connerton 1-1 (1-0 pen), B McKeon 1-0, D McGivney 0-2 (2f), M Quinn, B Gilleran, D Reynolds, L Moran, J Keegan 0-1. referee: N Mooney (Cavan).