SHC Quarter-final: Longwood 2-15 Na Fianna 2-8

Longwood advanced to the semi-finals of the 2019 Senior Hurling Championship with a controlled performance, which ultimately resulted in a seven point victory over neighbours Na Fianna in Trim on Sunday evening.

A hazy drizzle throughout proceedings made conditions anything but conducive for good hurling but both teams endeavoured to produce a relatively entertaining game. Slippery underfoot conditions combined with a greasy sliotar ensured clean striking was difficult, indeed one of the most common sights during the game was that of a Maor Foirne entering the field, armed with a towel, to allow free-takers to remove any excess moisture from their hurleys.

Not that Anthony Healy needs any assistance when it comes to striking a dead ball. Longwood’s ace marksman produced another vintage display, raising the white flag on no less than eleven occasions.

Longwood imposed their will on the game from the outset. Within three minutes they had registered a point and a goal from Ryan Moore and Damien Healy respectively. Despite Na Fianna reducing the deficit with their opening point after eight minutes, Longwood responded with a brilliant goal from Karl Ennis, the culmination of an excellent team move.

The remainder of the half saw the team exchange scores. Longwood will not be happy with the concession of a relatively soft goal but to their credit, the boys responded well to pick off three consecutive points before the break.

Half-time: Longwood 2-8 Na Fianna 1-4

The interval necessitated a change to Longwood’s starting line-up. Enda Dixon, who had been giving a typically heroic performance from full back, was forced off having taken a knock in the latter stages of the first half. Ross Healy entered the fray, with Johnny Furey reverting to a more familiar defensive role.

Throughout the second half, Longwood continued to keep their opponent at a safe distance. A late penalty notwithstanding, Longwood’s greater experience of senior hurling stood them in good stead and they rarely looked likely to give up their lead. At the final whistle the scoreboard showed a gap of seven points between the teams and this seemed like a relatively fair reflection on the game.

While Longwood had many fine individual performances, the trademark of this team is that the collective effort is more important than any one individual and this remained true today.

The team move forward to a semi-final clash with Kildalkey. The teams played out an exciting draw in the group stages of the competition and another titanic struggle lies in store when they meet again. It’s likely to take place next weekend. Fixture details can be found on www.longwoodgaa.com Whenever it takes place, it’s a game not to be missed!

Longwood: Mick Healy, Chris Lynch, Enda Dixon, Ross Kerrigan, Joey Stenson, Mickey Burke (0-1), Karl Ennis (1-1), Niall Mulvey, Ryan Moore (0-1), Anthony Healy (0-11), Damien Healy (1-1), Coran Byrne, Jim Dorran, Sean Coloe, Johnny Furey. Subs: Ross Healy for Enda Dixon