Longwood claimed the last quarter-final place on offer in the Ted Murtagh SHC at Trim early on Sunday afternoon when digging out a hard-earned win over a spirited O'Mahonys side in this Group A fixture

Longwood ............ 0-15
Navan O'Mahonys ....2-5

Last year's runners-up outscored O'Mahonys by 0-7 to 1-0 in the final quarter to secure third place in Group A and a quarter-final meeting with Dunboyne.

Ray Dorran and Rory Maguire's charges were deserving winners having displayed a better grasp of the basics. However, David Troy's men can take heart from this fixture heading into their relegation decider against Na Fianna.

When their top scorer John Foley raised their sole second-half white flag, O'Mahonys were on level terms with Longwood,1-5 to 0-8. However, they were unable to sustain the effort required as the south county side upped a gear when playing into the town goal.

By the end Longwood had eight different scorers, before midfielder Mikey Kelly fired home a goal for O'Mahonys in the fourth minute of stoppage time to leave just three points in it.

Anthony Healy then closed the scoring with his sole flag from play.

O'Mahonys were bound for the relegation decider before the off but took the game to their fancied opponents from the start. However, playing into a cross wind they chalked up 11 first-half wides.

Two pointed Foley frees got the off to a promising start in a low-scoring opening half. An excellent Ryan Moore effort was Longwood's sole score in the opening 26 minutes.

A Derek Loughran point left it 0-3 to 0-1 before Longwood found their range in the run-in to half time that included over six-and-a-half merited minutes of stoppage.

A forward surge by Damien Healy led to him pointing Longwood in front for the first time, in the 30th minute, and they went on to lead by 0-4 to 0-3 at the break.

O'Mahonys resumed with a mini-flourish. A pointed Foley free levelled matters within two minutes of the restart. Seconds later the same play flicked a Loughran delivery to the net and the town side were 1-4 to 0-4 to the good.

Four points on the spin restored Longwood's lead before a fine Foley effort from play tied the scores for the fourth and final time midway through the half.

Longwood bossed the remainder of the game and not even the valiant efforts of centre-half-back Jack Walsh could prevent O'Mahonys falling to their fifth defeat of the campaign.

However, O'Mahonys can prepare for their relegation decider with a degree of hope based on this showing.
Longwood - Alan Ennis; Damien Dixon, Ray Dorran, Joe Stenson; Darragh Maguire, Damien Healy (0-1),John Furey; Aaron Ennis (0-1), Karl Ennis (0-1); Ryan Moore (0-3), Mickey Burke (0-1),Chris Cusack; Coran Byrne, Anthony Healy (0-5. 2fs, 2 65s), Eoin Lynch (0-2). Subs - Ross Healy for Byrne (54), Mick Healy for Cusack (60), Enda Dixon (0-1) for A Ennis (60), Kevin Maguire for Moore (60).

O'Mahonys - James Burke; Nigel Ryan, Cormac Reilly, Damien Moran; Stephen Quirke, Jack Walsh, Andrew Snow; Mikey Kelly (1-0), James Murphy; David Quirke, Derek Loughran (0-1), Peter McLoughlin; David Dillon, John Foley (1-4, 0-3fs), Barry McEvoy. Subs - Dermot McKenna for Dillon (30), Shane O'Brien for D Quirke (57), Kenneth Boyd for McLoughlin (60).

Referee - Fergus Smith (Blackhall Gaels)

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