Dublin 2-11
Longford 0-14

Goals from Aaron Byrne and Con O'Callaghan proved vital as a fancied Dublin side survived a scare against Longford in the Leinster MFC at Glennon Bros Pearse Park today.

The hosts got off to a blistering start and had three points on the board through Dessie Reynolds, Rian Brady (sideline) and Conor Berry before O'Callaghan registered Dublin's first point of the contest in the 5th minute via a free.

The Midlanders hit back with two unanswered points but Byrne goaled in the 8th minute and a second O'Callaghan free had the sides level - 1-2 to 0-5 - by the 10th minute.

Undeterred, Gareth Johnston's charges re-established a two point lead by the end of the opening quarter thanks to scores from Berry and Shane Kenny (free) but Dublin soon began to find their rhythm and enjoyed the better of the second quarter exchanges to go in at the break with a slender one point lead - 1-7 to 0-9.

O'Callaghan raised a second green flag for the sky blues at the start of the second half and that score proved to be the difference between the sides at the final whistle as Dublin held on to secure a quarter-final berth.

Their talented Longford opponents, meanwhile, can console themselves with the fact that they will get a second bite of the cherry in the back-door section against the losers Wexford and Louth.


Dublin - E Whelan; C Murphy, A McGowan, D Monahan; C Kavanagh (0-3), S Clayton, G O'Reilly; C Burke, E McHugh; A Elliott, C Basquel (0-1), J Burke; A Byrne (1-0), C O'Callaghan (1-7, 0-7f), C Sallier. Subs: W Egan for A Byrne, A Fee for C Basquel, R McBride for C Sallier, A Fee for C Murphy (BC).

Longford - D Shannon; D McLoughin, R Sweeney, E Maken; E Higgins, D Reynolds (0-1), R Duffy (0-1); S Kenny (0-1), D McGivney (0-2); N Rabbitte (0-1), C McCabe, C Donohue; R Clarke, R Brady (0-6, 5f), C Berry (0-2). Subs: A McElligott for E Higgins, J Matthews for C Donohue, R Sullivan for C McCabe, B McKiernan for R Clarke, A Earley for R Sweeney (BC).

Referee - B Cawley. Tweet

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