Brian Kavanagh believes that the two teams who beat Longford this summer could square up to each other in this year's All-Ireland SFC Final. According to the sharpshooter, it will take a team on top of its game to stop Kerry regaining the Sam Maguire, and the 20-year-old suspects that Dublin will present the stiffest challenge. "If Kerry keep progressing the way they have and keep the momentum going, they will take a lot of beating. They are a top class team. They have the tradition and have the players, and that means a lot when the pressure comes on in the big games," he said. "Dublin are also heading in the right direction. Physically, they are very strong and they seem to have great motivation behind them this year. The fantastic support they get in Croke Park is also a help and they ll have no fear of Kerry." For the student of St Patrick s College, Drumcondra, and the rest of his Longford colleagues, this summer turned out to be a real qualifier success as they made it as far as the last weekend in July. Their unexpected resurgence, especially their stunning victory over Derry, shocked many, so what were the main reasons behind their prolonged stay in the championship? "One of the big advantages was that we had an injury-free year and that s always a huge help in preparing for matches, but I suppose the most important thing was the way the young players came through and clicked with the more experienced guys, the Ardagh native reflected. "The older guys were very good to all the rookies. We gelled really well together and the whole thing just took off after the Dublin game. While we were disappointed to lose by two points to them, we took a lot of confidence from that match because it showed us how competitive we could be against one of the big guns and we definitely learned from the experience. "Another key factor was our fitness. Whereas in previous years, Longford teams might not have finished out games as strongly as their opponents, we managed to see it out to the death in all our games and that means a lot. Even against Kerry, we kept at it, But we just had given ourselves a mountain to climb and at least, it taught us a thing or two for the future."   As for being voted Opel GPA Footballer of the Month for July, Kavanagh said that he was "honoured and felt that it was recognition for all the hard work put in by the entire Longford squad and I accept it on behalf of them." He added: "This is a great concept from Opel and the GPA as it rewards players across the board. It makes sure that players who do well in the league and the early rounds of the championship are recognised, and not just the ones who are still going in September." Tweet

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