Carlow didn't roll over but in the end Longford defeated them by ten points at Pearse Park, 2-15 to 1-8.

Victory sees the midlanders progress to the second round of the back-door series while it's the end of the road this year for Turlough O'Brien's men. This match exploded to life between the 15th and 17th minutes of the second half when the winners found the net twice (through Dessie Reynolds and Liam Connerton) either side of a Daryl Roberts major for the visitors.

Four converted frees from Brian Kavanagh had helped Jack Sheedy's charges (who were never behind) take a 0-7 to 0-4 interval advantage.

A brace of Kavanagh frees inside the opening eight minutes - either side of a Connerton point - gave the beaten Leinster quarter-finalists an encouraging start, while Brian Murphy eventually opened the Barrowsiders' account from a 14th-minute free and David Bambrick immediately followed up with a second Carlow score.

When Kavanagh popped over his third free, the favourites led by double scores with 21 minutes played, 0-4 to 0-2. Murphy and Sean Gannon pointed to draw the sides level; on the half hour, a fourth Kavanagh free restored the hosts' advantage. A minute from the break, Connerton bagged his second score and Diarmuid Masterson fired over the final score of an intriguing opening period.

The visitors registered two of the first three points of the second half and the match sparked to life approaching the three-quarters stage as three goals were scored inside two minutes. Reynolds seemed to have settled the game as a contest when he hit the net on 50 minutes to make it a five-point match, 1-8 to 0-6. Immediately, Carlow replied with a goal of their own from Roberts. Then, instantly at the other end, Connerton netted a second Longford major: 2-8 to 1-6.

A sixth Kavanagh free of the night made it a six-point match but Daniel St Ledger hit back with an excellent Carlow free. Five points separated the teams as we went into the last 15 minutes. Another Kavanagh free went between the sticks 13 minutes from time, Masterson stole forward to claim his second point a minute later and Reynolds also bagged his second almost instantly as the home team took a firm grip on proceedings - 2-12 to 1-7.

Fergal Battrim and Ronan McEntire also notched late points for the home team, who have got their season firmly back on track following that heavy defeat to Dublin a few of weeks ago.

Longford - P Collum; D Brady, B O'Farrell, F Battrim (0-1); C P Smyth, B Gilleran, D Masterson (0-2); M Quinn (0-1), K Diffley; P Foy, D Reynolds (1-1), R McEntire (0-1); R Connor, B Kavanagh (0-7, 6f), L Connerton (1-2). Subs: P Gill for P Foy, T Gallagher for D Masterson, R McNerney for D Reynolds, C Quaine for B Kavanagh, A Farrell for B Gilleran.

Carlow - R Molloy; D Kelly, S Redmond, K Nolan; G Power (0-1), D Hayden, B Kavanagh; S Gannon, E Ruth (0-1); M Meaney (0-1), D Foley, D Bambrick (0-1); B Murphy (0-3, 2f), D St Ledger (0-1f), D Roberts (1-0). Subs: D Moran for D Kelly, C Moran for D Bambrick, E Finnegan for M Meaney, D O'Brien for D Roberts, A Kelly for E Ruth, M Fitzgerald for B Kavanagh.

Referee - D Gough.

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