Longwood win as officials claim Mickey Burke told not to play?

However, by the end of this SHC first round clash in Boardsmill tonight Longwood were celebrating following an impressive 1-15 to 0-11 victory over Clann na nGael.

Those celebrations were cut short when it became clear that Aaron Ennis was laid out injured on the road side of the pitch after the final whistle following a late clash which left the Longwood man with a suspected broken ankle.

As the players left the field Ennis remained on the pitch, wrapped in the foil sheet for warmth, with exactly what happened to him unclear.

Despite Burke's absence,  Longwood were well in control and didn't miss their tigerish defender.

Longwood used the strong wind to good effect in the opening half to build up a 1-9 to 0-3 interval lead, but Clann na nGael didn't do themselves any favours by dropping Jack Doherty into defence and allowing Damien Healy a free role to clean up any danger Longwood might have faced.

Five points from Anthony Healy (two '65s' and two frees), two from Karl Ennis and one from Aaron Ennis boosted Longwood to a 0-8 to 0-1 lead before Chris Cusack pounced on a loose ball after Darren Heaney had saved from Healy to make it 1-8 to 0-1.

Two frees from Eamonn MacDonnachadh either side of a similar effort from Healy closed the opening half scoring.

Longwood stretched their lead with a score from Eoin Lynch four minutes after the restart, but points from Mac Donnachadh, Paddy Geraghty, Luke Swaine and John O'Sullivan gave Clann na nGael hope as they closed the gap to 0-7 to 1-10.

However, that was as good as it got for the Athboy/Rathcairn men as Aaron Ennis, Karl Ennis and Sean Coloe settled Longwood to make it 1-13 to 0-7 with 48 minutes gone.

The closing minutes were fractured with some wild challenges that led to several stoppages and eight minutes of injury-time.

Clann na nGael managed points from MacDonnachadh (two frees) and O'Sullivan, but it was Burke-less Longwood's evening as they saw out the win with fine late scores from Aaron Ennis and Jim Dorran.

Longwood - Michael Healy; Paul Gill, Enda Dixon, Chris Lynch; Joey Stenson, Damien Healy, Johnny Furey; Sean Coloe, Ryan Moore (0-1); Bob Maguire, Karl Ennis (0-3), Coran Byrne; Aaron Ennis (0-3), Anthony Healy (0-6 three frees, two '65s'), Chris Cusack (1-0). Subs - Eoin Lynch (0-1) for Maguire half-time, Martin Bermingham for Byrne 50 mins, Colm Hackett for Gill 56m, Jim Dorran (0-1) for E Lynch 59m, Dermot Kiernan for A Healy 66m.

Clann na nGael - Darren Heaney; Aaron Doherty, Gearoid Breathnach, Ciaran Garry; Aaron Ennis, Gary Mangan, Ciaran Fitzsimons; Luke Swaine (0-1), Daragh Griffin; Daragh Brogan (0-1), John O'Sullivan (0-3), Chris Fitzsimons; Paddy Geraghty (0-1), Eamonn MacDonnachadh (0-5 four rees), Jack Doherty. Subs - PJ Fallon for Chris Fitzsimons 25 mins, Aaron Ryan for Geraghty 56m.

Referee - Fergus Smyth (Kilcock).