Late Healy point secures victory for Longwood

In a game of low quality it took a score from the top drawer from Anthony Healy to separate the sides as Longwood booked their place in the IHC final with a narrow victory over Kilmessan at Boardsmill on Saturday evening. With less that five minutes of the hour remaining Healy won scrappy possession tight to the sideline and arrowed a superb drive between the posts at the dressing room end from over 50 metres to spark wild celebrations amongst the Longwood supporters. However, there was still much work to be done by the Longwood rearguard as Kilmessan piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser, but ultimately their inaccuracy and inability to take decent chances cost them victory. The closest Kilmessan came to snatching a draw was a minute from time when Paul O'Brien's effort from a difficult angle looked to have sailed over, but umpire Liam Kerrane waved the effort wide and correctly so. Kilmessan protested, but it was to no avail and on the balance of play Longwood deserved to shade the verdict as they owned the sliotar for long periods without putting undue pressure on Kilmessan's defence. Kilmessan didn't register a single score in the final 24 minutes of the contest and also went 22 minutes in the opening half without troubling the scoreboard operator. Longwood were a bit thriftier with their attacking opportunities, but they too struggled to hit the target in the first-half and went 19 minutes between their third and fourth points as Kilmessan gained an early upperhand. For all their possession in the first 30 minutes Longwood struggled to make in-roads against an experienced Kilmessan rearguard that was well-marshalled by Paul Donnelly. Whereas when Kilmessan attacked Longwood found Anton O'Neill difficult to contain, although the veteran attacker was surprisingly wayward from frees, contributing three of his sides five first-half wides. Kilmessan's superior stick work was proving more advantageous than the hard work of Michael Burke, Jim Dorran, Karl Ennis and Ross Ennis as O'Neill wiped out Burke's early point with a well-taken goal. Scott Bagnall and O'Neill traded scores with Chris Lynch and Aaron Ennis before the 10th minute and then there was 17 barren minutes before Michael Lynch pointed brilliantly to give Kilmessan a 1-3 to 0-3 lead. Paul Grimes emulated that score a minute later, but Longwood finished the half with Ross Ennis and Burke tagging on points to close the deficit to 0-5 to 1-4 at the break. Bagnall should have netted inside 10 seconds of the restart, but in a great two-minute spell Longwood found themselves ahead for the first time with three points from Healy, one from play. Kilmessan's response was another goal from O'Neill after Alan Ennis did well to deny Bagnall, but a minute later Healy closed the gap to 0-9 to 2-5 with his third free. Kilmessan established a two-point lead soon after, but that O'Neill point proved to be their last as Longwood ended a 15-minute barren spell with a fine score from Aaron Ennis. Bagnall was denied a goal by another great save from Alan Ennis before Healy restored parity six minutes from the end with a free after a dubious foul. Then came the winning score and it was fitting that it was Longwood's most dangerous attacker that finished it as they deserved to win with the introduction of Barney Reilly giving them a cutting edge in attack to help secure the final position. Longwood - Alan Ennis; D Maguire, E Dixon, M Birmingham; J Stenson, K Ennis, J Mahon; M Burke (0-2), Aaron Ennis (0-2); C Lynch (0-1), J Dorran, R Ennis (0-1); C Cusack, A Healy (0-6, three frees), C Byrne. Subs - B Reilly for Lynch 37 mins, N Ennis for Cusack 45m. Kilmessan - M Bissett; E Horan, P Donnelly, T Horan; M Lynch (0-1), M Munnelly, S Horan; P O'Brien, E Marsh; D Maguire, A Keena, K Reilly; S Bagnall (0-1), A O'Neill (2-2), P Grimes (0-1). Sub - S Brennan for Keena 34 mins. Referee - Gerry Kelly (Navan O'Mahonys).