O'Byrne Cup/Longford 1-10, UCD 0-9: Longford had to work hard for their expected win in the O'Byrne Cup at Pearse Park yesterday. Niall Sheridan set up Derek Smyth for the only goal of the game after eight minutes and Longford led by 1-5 to 0-5 at the break. Three of the first-half points were fired over by Pádraic Davis, who registered four more in the second half.
It might have been a different story had UCD not kicked a number of costly wides while Shane Lennon should have scored a goal in the closing stages of the first half but Longford goalkeeper Damien Sheridan made a superb save.
Four players ended up in the sin-bin for 10-minutes, Seán Brady and John Hanley (UCD), and Longford's Mark Lennon and Thomas O'Rourke.
LONGFORD: D Sheridan; D Brady, P Maguire, E Ledwith; A O'Connor, T O'Rourke, D Reilly; P O'Hara, D Smyth (1-0); J Martin, P Barden (0-1), T Smullen (0-1); M Connor (0-1), N Sheridan, P Davis (0-7, six frees). Subs: P Dowd for Barden (31 mins); M Lennon for N Sheridan (45 mins); K Mulligan for Connor (53 mins); F Kelly for O'Hara (61 mins); T Glendinning for Martin (69 mins).
UCD: S Gallagher; J McCarthy, C Evans, D Ó hAnnaidh; E Ó Cuiv, J Donoghue, M Duffy; M Ward, M Ó Sé; N McNamee, S Brady (0-1), L Ó hEineachain (0-1); J Hanley, S Lennon (0-5, all frees), B Sheehan (0-1). Subs: B Ó hAnnaidh (0-1) for McNamee (half-time); JP Casey for Ó hEineachain (half-time); P Navin for D Ó hAnnaidh (45 mins); E Kelleher for Sheehan (68 mins).
Referee: P Daly (Westmeath)
