Round-up: Dalata Hotel Group Leinster U20 Championship

The Dalata Hotel Group Leinster U20 FC trophy. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Dalata Hotel Group Leinster U-20 football championship quarter-finals

Longford 3-13 Offaly 1-17

Kildare Westmeath - match called off at half time

By Paul Keane

Hosts Longford edged a tense second half in Newtownforbes to secure their place in Leinster's last four.

But we'll have to wait to learn who fills the remaining semi-final spot after this evening's other quarter-final tie between Kildare and Westmeath was called off at half time.

Kildare led by 0-6 to 0-3 at that stage in Kinnegad but a pitch inspection performed by referee Ian Howley ended with the decision to abandon for the evening.

Ronan Kelly, a county SFC title winner with Athy last autumn, scored two early points for Kildare and Jimmy Lynch added three more.

Hogan Cup winner Will Scahill scored an early two-pointer for Westmeath and James McHugh got their other point from a free.

Meath and Louth had already advanced as group winners so three of the four semi-finalists are now known.

Longford finished second in Group 2 after closing out their round robin campaign with a heavy loss to Meath last week.

But they bounced back from that double score defeat with a hugely spirited performance, holding off Offaly after an epic finale to win by two.

Max Gallagher and Cormac Flynn grabbed the first half goals for Longford who led by 2-7 to 1-9 at half time.

It was anyone's game at that stage as Offaly, who led by 0-5 to 0-2 early on, similarly impressed.

Kaelum Bryan, Charlie Duffy, Jack Maher and Jack Ryan were on the mark with important points for Offaly and Dylan Dunne struck their 16th minute goal.

The sides were level four times in the second half as an intense encounter unfolded.

A point from Longford sub Kevin Baskett, followed by their third goal from Paddy Mollaghan, nudged the hosts 3-12 to 1-14 clear.

Offaly cut that two-point deficit in half by full time but couldn't get any closer as Longford progressed.