Agree Ned_Stormcrow - especially in light of the fact that it is now the third time in relatively recent times Longford have beaten them.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 22/06/2014 20:56:25    1607343

Came away from this game thinking i HATE being a Derry fan. 3 games ago we were beating Mayo with 14 men in Croke Park, now our summer is over. No point in a post mortem. Fair play to Longford, fully deserved the win.

jamesjoyce (Derry) - Posts: 126 - 23/06/2014 09:33:19    1607437

Good man Ned, though I would have thought the result would have surprised the poster on here who said this would be no contest at all when the draw was made and that Derry would run away with it - would you have any idea at all who that poster was? I think the same Cavan man said that Derry would beat Donegal as well! Longford deserve massive respect for this win, if you produce class forwards like Barden then you always have a chance of producing good wins.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 23/06/2014 09:58:49    1607460

Hard to believe that Derry's season is over and it is only June.

Their league exploits had me thinking they would be a serious player both in Ulster and the Qualifiers.

Serious victory for Longford though it has to be said.

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 4556 - 23/06/2014 10:01:23    1607463

I do think that Leinster teams get a rough ride sometimes, and its down to Dublin's dominance. Fact is Dublin would dominate any province at the minute . there are counties in Leinster like Longford who on their day are not half bad. Same would apply to Wexford and laois, anyone of them are capable of mixing it with the big boys, but Dublin over shadows them. Apart from Meath and Kildare no county is even given a chance to put it up to dubs. So hard luck Derry but I'm delighted for Longford.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 23/06/2014 10:10:13    1607473

Well done Longford. Has to be a massive disappointment from a Derry perspective! What has happened them!!?

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 23/06/2014 10:32:13    1607495

I don't know if I buy in to this whole measuring of teams against what they did in the league. Yes, Derry had a good league campaign taking a couple of big scalps on the way, but at the end of the day its only the league and your wins are partly measured by how serious your opponents are taking it. Don't get me wrong, everyone obviously wants to win games but the main incentive is to avoid relegation and for those in Divisions 2,3 and 4, to gain promotion. I can't imagine the likes of Tyrone were too bothered that they didn't get to the final.

My point is, the championship is a completely different animal. Now, the league can show that Derry are a Division 1 team while Longford are D3 who got relegated to D4. But campionship brings a different attitude and intensity. You can bet that those Longford lads were a lot more fired up taking the pitch in Celtic Park than they would be running out onto Fraher Field (no disrespect to Waterford) on a dank Sunday in February. When it comes to Championship, the percentages and margins are so fine, the only reason we don't have more shocks is our scoring system. It wasn't the only possible shock, Clare (D4) weren't far behind Kerry (D1), Tipperary could and possibly should have beaten Cork and Fermanagh could have taken out Laois.

Fair play to the Longford lads anyway, hope to see them go on a run in the qualifiers, they've been threatening to do something for a few years now.

decky (Roscommon) - Posts: 384 - 23/06/2014 10:34:19    1607497

decky
County: Roscommon
Posts: 196

" the only reason we don't have more shocks is our scoring system."

Decky, I think needs further explaining. what do you mean.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5522 - 23/06/2014 11:18:34    1607534

Cant stop smiling. Best result ever. Away in Celtic Park. Derry League finalists. Longford relegated to bottom tier. Wexford looked far better than us in Longford two weeks ago. Then this. Sport defies logic, I suppose that's why we love it. Keep the torch lit Longford. Why not?

arjuna (Longford) - Posts: 88 - 23/06/2014 11:28:29    1607536

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. It's funny reading after-the-fact experts tell us they knew Longford would win all along... try predicting a result lads!
As for league form meaning nothing? This one result against all the other true to form results? Gimme a break.

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 23/06/2014 11:46:31    1607549

Great result, delighted for Longford. Maybe it was arrogance that got Derry beat...eh Joe Brolly ????

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11717 - 23/06/2014 11:47:15    1607551

Oh some did have a go at predicting the result Floops, including Ned who suggested Derry would destroy the also-rans from Leinster. Now he comes on and says that Longford winning was no surprise at all! These players put in a huge effort each year, it is time people started respecting them and recognising their talents.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 23/06/2014 11:54:23    1607556

Our boy Jack... :)

Well done Longford

Having a great championship to date

Offaly / Derry in the bag... a very narrow defeat to Wexford but proved you're every bit as good as them

Hopefully this could be start of a successful Longford team and build on the underage success that you've enjoyed

Well done!

Great weekend for Leinster v Ulster... with Laois also doing the business

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 23/06/2014 11:57:54    1607559

People say League means nothing. Well then, why is it that the top division always makes up 90% of the All Ireland 1/4 finalists every year without fail? The facts don't agree with your opinions lads. Any Longford supporter will tell you we would love to be playing in top flight football year in year out, instead of living off scraps.

When and how often does a Division 2, 3 or 4 team win an All Ireland? Slam Dunk. League is an accurate barometer, but now and then, you get a surprise. That's why we like sport. Longford gave us the surprise this year........(except for those who know their football and saw this coming!)

arjuna (Longford) - Posts: 88 - 23/06/2014 14:37:56    1607714

sad to see us go out of championship so early,even though we were missing a few players i still thought we would win.was hard to watch as a derry fan the amount of times we got turned over and lost possesion,and we persisted with hand passing the ball instead of mixing it with long kick passing.longford got their scores much easier also,only player stood out for us was m lynch.fair play to longford though they deserved their win and good luck for the rest of the season longford fans.

gazboy (Derry) - Posts: 9 - 25/06/2014 18:53:52    1609106

arjuna
County: Longford
Posts: 67

1607714
People say League means nothing. Well then, why is it that the top division always makes up 90% of the All Ireland 1/4 finalists every year without fail? The facts don't agree with your opinions lads. Any Longford supporter will tell you we would love to be playing in top flight football year in year out, instead of living off scraps.

When and how often does a Division 2, 3 or 4 team win an All Ireland? Slam Dunk. League is an accurate barometer, but now and then, you get a surprise. That's why we like sport. Longford gave us the surprise this year........(except for those who know their football and saw this coming!)


The National League is loosely accurate, but some years be midleading.

I have openly stated my belief that Division 2 was exceptionally strong this year, and also that I felt Division 1 was weaker due to an Imbalance caused by all the physical defensive teams playing outside the top division. Normally you would have a nice even blend of attacking open style teams and defensive physical teams.
But with strong Monaghan and Meath teams emerging from Division 3 and strong Donegal and Down teams dropping from Division 1 in 2013, added with decent sides like Laois, Galway, Armagh and Louth meant Division 2 was much tougher.

I wouldn't rule out a Donegal or Monaghan making a serious play for the All Ireland.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3032 - 26/06/2014 20:26:16    1609578

Derry are not a bad team or a league team. I think the loss to Donegal deflated many of the players, that was a bitter dissapointment which led to a few player withdrawing. This coupled with Injuries to key men, left Derry in a weakened mental state entering the qualifiers.
Derry played well against every single team during the National League group stages, with exception of maybe the last game against Mayo, whom Derry later beat in the National League SF and of course the National League final hammering. You wouldn't beat the likes of Kerry, Kildare, Mayo, Dublin, draw with Tyrone and lose by a single point to Cork, if you were a rubbish outfit. Derry are an emerging team, that needs some tweaking.

Longford deserved the win, but I still think it was a lot like Laois v Fermanagh in a lot of ways.
Laois beat Fermanagh by a point, in a game they were widely expected to win well after a tough performance against Dublin.
Derry lost by 2 points to Longford, in a game they were widely expected to win well after a tough performance againt Donegal.

After both Laois and Derry playing in two hugely hyped glamour provincial matches, could their lacklustre performances in Qualifier Rd 1 be due to these games being a bit of an Anti-Climax from the previous ties? I think so.
Longford are good side and remind me a little of Roscommon a year or two back, but would they have beaten Derry had they been the opposition for the championship opener back in May 25th? I doubt it.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3032 - 26/06/2014 20:42:54    1609593

Me confused. Longford beat Division 1 side Derry. Then are absolutely hammered by Division 4 Tip. Are Derry that bad? Tip that Good?

qwert (Cavan) - Posts: 31 - 05/07/2014 21:00:06    1614255

qwert
County: Cavan
Posts: 28

1614255
Me confused. Longford beat Division 1 side Derry. Then are absolutely hammered by Division 4 Tip. Are Derry that bad? Tip that Good?

We're Division 3 now :)

And we're showing Championship form that belies our lowly League standing. Comfortable wins over Limerick and Longford and damn near ambushed Cork..

roundball (Tipperary) - Posts: 2514 - 05/07/2014 21:14:30    1614272

Tipperary are improving and are a fine side. They are like Limerick ten years ago, very dangerous opposition. Would have beaten Kerry if drawn against them.

Hoover78 (Limerick) - Posts: 865 - 05/07/2014 21:50:56    1614299