Longford minor manager Ciaran Fox admits that he always had faith in his players to lift this year's Leinster title.

The Midlanders beat neighbours Offaly in an exciting final that saw the underdogs prevail against adversity and be crowned champions following a 0-14 to 0-8 win.

Only a few months earlier, Offaly had inflicted a 22-point defeat on Longford, but they regrouped and foraged their way through the next few rounds to reach the decider.

And Fox believes that at no time had he any doubts that the players couldn't achieve their ultimate goal and win the provincial title.

"Those lads were just asked to go out and play to their natural ability," said Fox. "We've no systems, we've no special runs or diagonal runs. We asked them to go out and play to their own systems; the football that they have been playing since they were three or four year olds when they started to kick a ball.

"The quality they brought; their brought it form their clubs, their families. They didn't get that at county minor level. That's their own natural ability." Tweet

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