Longwood got their Premier Championship campaign off to a winning start with victory over a dogged Drumconrath team.

With the pitch looking resplendent in the April sunshine, the stage was set for championship football. Longwood were fielding a second team for the first time in a number of years and the home side had a youthful look, with a sprinkling of experience thrown in to keep the learner drivers between the hedges!

One of the younger brigade, Louis Butler, was to have a game to remember and he signalled his intent with a well taken goal with just four minutes on the clock. While this should have settled the boys into the game, it was Drumconrath who wrestled back the initiative courtesy of a goal and point over the next five minutes. After Karl Ennis kicked a fine point to bring the sides level, the following ten minutes saw both teams struggle, kicking a number of wides and having nothing to show for their endeavours.

Tadhg Connolly finally ended the barren spell with an excellent point before Louis Butler (two) and Karl Ennis rounded off the first half scoring. Longwood took a 1-5 to 1-1 lead to the interval.

The second half would see Longwood exert more control, an early Sam King point was followed by further overs from Louis Butler and Gavin Griffith. Drumconrath responded with a brace of points before Butler, running on to an incisive Sam King pass, deftly flicked the ball past the advancing goalkeeper to the net, effectively ending the game as a contest. Sam King raised Longwood’s third green flag a couple of minutes later before the industrious Ciaran Sheridan completed the scoring with a fisted point.

So a deserved victory for Longwood and they can look forward to the next round with a sense of optimism.

Longwood: Sean O’Shea, David McQuaid, Quin Fisher, Liam Moroney, Cathal Campbell, Vinny Byrne, Cian O’Hare, Scout Hanna, Karl Ennis (0-2), Conor Molloy, Sam King (1-1), Ciaran Sheridan (0-1), Louis Butler (2-3), Tadhg Connolly (0-1), Dean Keogh. Subs: Adam O’Brien, Josh Meagher, Gavin Griffith (0-1), James Sweeney, Ollie Mullan, Jack Hickey, Glen Brady