Tonight Round 1 of the EirGrid Leinster GAA U20 Football Championship kicked off.

Parnell Park in Dublin played host to the clash of Longford and Wexford. In cool conditions it was the men from the Sunny South East who drew first blood when Cian Hughes knocked over his first free of the night. However, things changed quickly from here with Jack Duggan getting on the end of a fine move to finish cooly to the net for the Midlanders opening score. The sides then exchanged scores as both Duggan and Ruiarí O’Brien converting from placed balls. Longford then began to assert their dominance with successive points from Bryan Masterson and Keelin McGann. Another set of dead balls were exchanged before Duggan struck again for a decisive blow to put Longford 2-05 to 0-03 up approaching the half time break.

Wexford came out in the second half hoping to turn things around. Things looked promising when Jack Higgins popped over a fine score to bring them back to within 7. This however, was quickly cancelled out by scores from Duggan and a first of the night for Tiarnan Hussey. The game was then effectively put to bed when McGann fired home the Longford sides third goal of the evening. The icing was then put on the cake when Ciaran Scanlon popped up for the Midlanders fourth major. Wexford to their credit stayed fighting to the end and got what the very least their efforts deserved when Brendan Tobin grabbed a goal. The final score ended 4-09 to 1-07, Kieran Carey and his charges can now look ahead to a Quarter Final clash with Meath on Saturday 16th April.

Teams

Longford: Cian Mc Guinness, Bryan Masterson, Oisin O’Toole, Fionn Hourican, Darren Moffett (Capt), Cathal Gilligan, Dylan Lynch, Richard Prior, Conor Leonard, Keelin Mc Gann, Aaron Farrell, Ciarán Scanlon, Tiarnan Hussey, Jack Macken, Jack Duggan Subs: Barry Geraghty, Diarmuid Farrell, Diarmuid Kelly, Sean O’Sullivan, James Galligan, Matt Duffy, Micheal Hynes, Matthew Flynn, Jamie Brady Hynes

Wexford: James Rossiter, Conor Lyne, Brian Cushe, Conor Kelly, Conor Murphy, Jason Bolger (Capt.), Ben Martin, Liam Doyle, Rian Fitzpatrick, Conor Kinsella, Ruairi O Brien, Jack Higgins, Cian Hughes, Ciaran Regan, Brendan Tobin Subs: Rory Tubritt, Jamie Berry, Luke Darley, Gary Porter, Emmet Cullen, Micheal McGonigle, Sean Hughes, Kyle Rankin, Barry Cloake

Referee: Barry Tiernan