Longwood U14s continued their championship journey with a difficult away trip to Round Towers in Kells last Sunday, eventually falling to a strong and fit home side on a scoreline of Round Towers 2-15, Longwood 1-07.

The game could hardly have started better for Longwood. Playing with confidence and purpose, they raced into an early 0-5 to 0-1 lead thanks to scores from Patrick Maguire, Thomas Maguire and Dylan Dixon. One score in particular caught the eye, with Patrick Maguire splitting the posts from an extremely tight angle after excellent attacking play.

However, the contest swung dramatically midway through the first half. Round Towers struck for two quick goals and quickly followed up with a series of points to seize control. As the hosts built momentum, the weather deteriorated rapidly. 

Heavy rain made handling difficult and building moves became difficult. Longwood’s defence found themselves under sustained pressure as clearances became increasingly challenging and much of the play was forced back into the visitors' half.

Despite this, Longwood showed tremendous resilience. An outstanding diving save from goalkeeper Aodhan Freeman, coupled with several brave and timely blocks from Lukas Hennessy, prevented the deficit from growing further. At the break, Round Towers had established a commanding advantage, leading 2-07 to 0-05.

The second half followed a similar pattern initially, with Round Towers continuing to create scoring opportunities. Another excellent save from Aodhan Freeman denied them a third goal and kept Longwood in the contest. Gradually, Longwood began to find some rhythm. Emmet Collins was outstanding, driving forward from the half-back line and helping to launch attacks. One such move ended with Tyler Mulligan landing an excellent score. 

With Emmet Collins leading by example, and with Luka Farrell, Thomas Murray and Cuan Sanders beginning to influence proceedings, Longwood enjoyed their best spell of the half. Unfortunately, the relentless rain continued to make conditions difficult, with slippery handling leading to a number of turnovers just as Longwood looked to build momentum.

The task became even more challenging when Erikas Petkus was shown a second yellow card midway through the half, after being unlucky with a tackle that was deemed late by the referee.  Reduced to twelve players and facing an experienced Round Towers side with a healthy lead, Longwood faced an uphill battle.

To their credit, the visitors never stopped fighting. Dylan Dixon and Tadhg Shram worked tirelessly around midfield, while a long-range goal from Luka Farrell briefly gave Longwood hope of a late revival. Thomas Murray also added a point from a well-earned free, but Round Towers continued to move the ball with pace and precision, adding further scores to secure victory on a final score of Longwood 1-07 Round Towers 2-15. 

While the result was disappointing, especially against a team that Longwood beat at home in the u14 league, there were plenty of positives for Longwood to take from the game. The two first-half goals proved a major turning point and left a young side chasing the game in difficult conditions. Aodhan Freeman's goalkeeping heroics, the determination of Lukas Hennessy, and an outstanding display from Emmet Collins stood out on a day when the defence faced constant pressure. 

Further forward, Patrick Maguire impressed throughout with his work rate and scoring threat, while it was also great to see Tyler Mulligan back in the black and white jersey.

Longwood now move into the U14 Shield semi final and there remains plenty to play for before the end of the season. After an excellent league campaign and 3 tight competitive championship matches, there is still the opportunity for 

Longwood to end the season with silverware. 

Team
Goalkeeper – Aodhan Freeman
Backs –Lucas Hennessy, Conor Baldwin, Aidan Sharkey, Erikas Petkus, Emmet Collins. 
Midfield – Dylan Dixon (0-1), Tadhg Schram
Forwards – Thomas Murray (0-1), Patrick Maguire (0-3),Luka Farrell (1-0), Thomas Maguire (0-1), Tyler Mulligan (0-1), Caeden Connor, Cuan Sanders. 

Man of the Match: Emmet Collins