February 29th, traditionally a day for popping the question..............well the only question on the lips of Longwood's minor football team was "are we finally going to play a game of football?"

Well thankfully the answer was yes. With over 6 weeks training under their belts, the boys finally got to take to the field in an official fixture when they travelled to Moylagh to tackle Inny Gaels in the Minor Football League. A gale-force and bitterly cold wind combined with occasional flurries of snow made conditions incredibly difficult but both teams did their best to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Longwood looked somewhat rusty for much of the contest but that is understandable given that it was their first competitive game in many months. They weren't helped by the fact that their opponents could only field eleven players on the day. This forced Longwood to alter their original selection and the constant flow of substitutions made it difficult to build momentum. It was most heartening to see such a strong panel of players, 20 in total, togged out for Longwood.

Special mention to goalkeeper Luke Daly who pulled off a couple of excellent saves in either half, indeed these saves kept Longwood in contention when it looked as though Inny Gaels were about to take control of the game. At the other end of the pitch, Tadhg Connolly was causing havoc for his markers finishing the game with a fantastic tally of 1-7. He also created a goal for Billy Hogan who was forced off the field later in the game with a nasty looking wound just above his eye. We wish Billy a speedy recovery.

So a good start to the league for Longwood and plenty of room for improvement for the rest of the competition. Their next fixture is scheduled for Wednesday evening @ 7.30 in Longwood but with the weather as it is, it doesn't pay to look that far ahead!

Longwood: Luke Daly, Lorcan Hannon, Sean Crum, Ciaran Sheridan, Scout Hanna, Sam King, Billy Hogan (1-0), Liam Moroney, Tom Connolly, Quin Fisher, Tadhg Connolly (1-7). Subs: Donal Stagg (1-0), Luke O'Donnell, Ben Leacy, Adam Leacy, Louis Butler, Sam Dixon, Coyle O'Brien, Noah Furlong, Josh Meagher