DENIS CONNERTON’S LONGFORD pulled off one of the shocks of the summer last night by dumping Ulster champions Monaghan out of the qualifiers.
Monaghan, a side who reached the last three All-Ireland quarter-finals, entered the backdoor after two titanic clashes with Donegal. But Longford, who lost out to Offaly in the first-round of Leinster, stunned the Farney men to continue the recent trend of upsets in the football championship.
Tipperary and Galway sparked life into the provinces by defeating Cork and Mayo respectively, but it’s entirely fair to suggest that Longford’s victory trumps both of those upsets.
We really shouldn’t be surprised. Scalps over Monaghan, Derry, Mayo and Down hang from Longford’s belt since the qualifier era. They are a team that thrives in the murky waters of the backdoor, as this string of victories proves.
Longford’s scalps since the qualifiers began in 2001
2004 - All-Ireland qualifiers round 1
Monaghan 1-16 Longford 4-15 (aet), St. Tiernach’s Park, Clones
2006 - All-Ireland qualifiers round 3
Longford 1-16 Derry 2-12, Pearse Park, Longford
2010 - All-Ireland qualifiers round 1Longford 1-12 Mayo 0-14, Pearse Park, Longford
2012 - All-Ireland qualifiers round 1Longford 0-17 Derry 2-8, Pearse Park, Longford2014 - All-Ireland qualifiers round 1ADerry 2-14 Longford 2-16, Celtic Park, Derry2016 - All-Ireland qualifiers round 1BDown 3-17 Longford 2-24 (aet), Pairc Esler, Newr2016 - All-Ireland qualifiers round 2B
Monaghan 1-13 Longford 2-13, St. Tiernach’s Park, Clones
That’s the reigning All-Ireland champions and Ulster champions who Longford have beaten so far in 2016. Granted, the win over Dublin arrived in the O’Byrne Cup, but victories over the Dubs are pretty rare these days.
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