Limerick 1-8
Longford 0-9

Limerick maintained their early bid back to Division Three of the National Football League with their third successive win of the campaign yesterday afternoon away to Longford.

The visitors got away to the perfect start in this game when their midfielder Jim O'Donovan drove through for a goal after just three minutes.

That goal had separated the sides throughout the entire game, as both sided traded point for point until Longford registered their ninth single to cut the deficit down to two points coming towards the finish.

Deep into injury-time a Francis McGee free for the hosts was blocked down and ended up in the back of the net with Seamus Hannon getting the last touch for Glenn Ryan's team.

However, Longford's joy soon turned into dismay when referee Sean Carroll disallowed the goal indicating that he had blown the final whistle after McGee's free was taken in the fifth minute of added time. The new playing rules state that the full time whistle cannot be blown until the ball has gone out of play, but the Westmeath official signalled time after the free had been taken.

Limerick - C Ranahan; M O'Riordan, C Mullane, A Lane; S Lavin (0-1), J McCarthy, P Ranahan; J O'Donovan (1-0), J Galvin; P Browne, J Ryan (0-1), J Mullane; G Collins (0-1), I Ryan (0-5, 4f), C Joyce-Power. Subs: G Noonan for C Joyce-Power (h-t), R Hayes for J Galvin (h-t), S Gallagher for C Mullane (h-t), P Corrigan for J Mullane (59).

Longford - D Sheridan; S Mulligan, D Masterson, S Hannon; D Brady, E Williams, J Nally; K Smith (0-1), G Dennigan; D Keenan, F McGee (0-6, 3f, 1 '65), K Mulligan (0-1); D Reilly, B Kavanagh, C Mimnagh (0-1). Subs: P Kelly for G Dennigan (54), D Morgan for C Mimnagh (64).

Ref: S Carroll (Westmeath) Tweet

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