The prize of a place in next year’s Intermediate Football Championship was at stake at a breezy and chilly Summerhill on Saturday afternoon.

Longwood and Blackhall Gaels both arrived on the back of mixed performances in the group stages; Longwood had suffered three consecutive defeats, albeit in the toughest of the groups, while Blackhall Gaels had managed to secure an opening round victory against Nobber before losing consecutive games.

If nerves were an issue, there was no evidence early on, particularly from a Longwood team who stormed into the game.  Playing with the aid of the breeze, they completely dominated the opening quarter, at the end of which they led 1-5 to 0-0.  It was eerily reminiscent of their previous outing against Castletown when they also hit the ground running.

They cut through the Blackhall defence at will, Conor Dixon’s piercing runs particularly conspicuous, and ensured that the scoreboard operator was kept busy.  Ryan Moore was very much to the fore, pointing three frees and kicking another fine point from play.   The goal came on five minutes, a rapid Longwood attack ended up in the hands of Adam O’Brien who timed his run to perfection before coolly dispatching the ball to the bottom left corner of the net.  

With an eight-point lead after fifteen minutes Longwood looked set for a comfortable afternoon.  As it transpired, nothing could have been further from the truth.  Slowly but surely Blackhall Gaels clawed their way back into the game, a run of four successive points saw them halve the deficit by half-time.  Longwood contributed to this run of scores with some sloppy turnovers and by now the nerves were beginning to jangle.

Half-time:  Longwood 1-5 Blackhall Gaels 0-4

The second half saw both teams struggle in the early stages.  The scoreboard remained unchanged for the opening eight minutes before the men from Batterstown and Kilcloon scored their fifth point of the game.  They tagged on two more overs to reduce the arrears to just a single point as we entered the final quarter.  

Amazingly Longwood had gone 35 minutes since their last score.  The drought was ended courtesy of an excellent pointed free from Billy Hogan.  Kicking from distance, against the breeze, proved no obstacle to Longwood’s and Meath’s No.1

Two points ahead, Longwood’s management team looked to press home their advantage and introduced Sean Coloe for the final chapter.  The talismanic midfielder (to borrow a quote from a well-known podcaster) had been injured for a number of weeks, but Coloe at 60% is still a force to be reckoned with.  

That said, his impact on the game was not immediate.  Indeed, with just eight minutes remaining, Blackhall Gaels thought they had taken the lead courtesy of a scrappy goal.  However, after a brief consultation between referee and umpires, the goal was disallowed.  Fortunately for Longwood, corner back Ross Kerrigan was adjudged to have carried the ball over the endline just seconds before the ball was dispatched to the net.  The Longwood supporters could breathe again.

A point from the ageless Tadhg Brosnan reduced the deficit to the minumum.   Sean Coloe responded immediately with a superb point from an acute angle, extending Longwood’s advantage once more and they looked like they had done enough.  

Blackhall Gaels refused to yield and pressed again; a pointed free brought the margin back to just a point as the clock ticked into injury time.  Could Longwood hold on?  For a split second it looked like they would do more than that as a slick breakaway saw them advance on the opposing goals.  A fisted point was there for the taking but Damien Healy went for the jugular, only to see the Blackhall goalkeeper pull off a fine save and divert the ball to safety.

Blackhall launched one more attack which resulted in a wide and the game looked to be up.  Surely the final whistle would follow the kickout.  

But no, yet more drama lay in store.  The referee, without any prior warning, penalised Billy Hogan for delaying the kickout.  Any delay, if there was one, was minimal but it gave Blackhall one final chance.  To their credit, they secured possession from the resultant throw-in and proceeded to win a very dubious free, just outside the 20-metre line.  

Longwood were furious but it can be argued that such a wound was self-inflicted.  

Tadhg Brosnan showed great composure to kick the equalising point, and we were heading for extra time.

Full time:  Longwood 1-7 Blackhall Gaels 0-10

Whatever words of wisdom were imparted to the Longwood players certainly worked the oracle.  Far from feeling sorry for themselves, the Longwood boys ignored their aching limbs and attacked both periods of extra time with relish.  Perhaps the experience of coming through a similar scenario last year stood to them.  Whatever the reason, they played some of their best football when the need was greatest.  

The contribution from the bench was enormous –Sean Coloe kicking two more inspirational scores, ably supported by Adrian Maguire who kicked two equally important points.  Ryan Moore chipped in with a fantastic point, having stealthily dispossessed a Blackhall Gaels defender.

Longwood were able to control the second period of extra time and allow their supporters to enjoy the closing minutes.

The final whistle was greeted with a mixture of relief and elation.  Both teams exhausted, one happy and one left to fight another day.

Final Score (AET): Longwood 1-13 Blackhall Gaels 0-11

 Longwood: Billy Hogan (0-1), Conor Dixon, Niall Mulvey, Ross Kerrigan, Joey Stenson, Tomás O’Brien, Sean Sheridan (Capt.), Bob Maguire, Brian Stagg, Damien Healy, Anthony Healy, Adam O’Brien (1-0), Ciaran Sheridan, Ryan Moore (0-6), Mickey Burke (0-1). Subs: Sean Coloe (0-3) for Ciaran Sheridan, Adrian Maguire (0-2) for Adam O’Brien, Adam O’Brien for Anthony Healy, Ciaran Sheridan for Bob Maguire, Kevin Maguire, Adam Leacy.

 

It wasn’t a pretty game, but when it comes to championship, it’s all about the result.  Winning is the only currency that matters.

 A couple of unsung heroes deserve special mention.  Bob Maguire ran himself to the point of exhaustion, his supporting runs a constant feature throughout the game.  In addition, he almost broke the Summerhill crossbar with a rasping shot at goal.  

If you need a man to win a loose, dirty ball, look no further than Joey Stenson.  A true warrior, he revels in the physical combat of hurling and football.  He did so again on Saturday. 

Aaron Ennis can be justifiably proud of his players.  Despite struggling for periods of the game, their collective effort could never be questioned. 

Conor Dixon, Brian Stagg, Tomás O’Brien and Adrian Maguire all experienced a championship win for the first time in the white jersey.  New to the team, all four made telling contributions, on Saturday and throughout the season.  

Intermediate status secured, time now to focus on the small ball.

Maigh Dearmhaí abú!!  🤍🖤🤍🖤🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁