Trim 1-11
Longwood 0-12

The summer is nigh. The evenings are getting long. It's time to sort out the men from the boys. Yes you guessed, its championship time.

Trim has had a dismal year to date with four defeats out of four in the league and Longwood with three wins and a draw in their league. So form would suggest that the lads from the Wood would take to honours but Trim had other aspirations and went on to win by two points in a tight game at Summerhill last Saturday evening.

The scoring statics tell a fair story of the game, Apart from the nil-nil at the start, the teams were level eight times during the game. Trim went ahead on six occasions during the game, consequently forcing the pace but could only stretch the elastic once to four points after scoring the goal in the second quarter only to be pegged back by four consecutive Longwood points before half time. Six of Trim's points came from frees while four of Longwood's came from frees outlining the importance of this aspect of any game. Both defences were excellent throughout. Probably the winning of the game was the stout defending by the Trim lads in the final six minutes of the game which forced four Longwood wides and of course the evergreen Trim goalkeeper Brendan Murphy who pulled off four magnificent and telling saves throughout.

Longwood applied the early pressure but did not make it tell with two wides in the first two minutes. Trim got the scoring under way in the fifth minute when Paul Flanagan sped up the right wing and hit a long ball into Neil Heffernan who turned his marker and fired over. Longwood levelled in the ninth minute but James Toher put Trim in front again with a pointed free after he was fouled when he got on the end of a Ciaran Joyce cross. The Wood then hit two points but was quickly followed by a Trim point in the sixteenth minute after Mark Gilsenan robbed the advancing defender and then drew the foul. James Toher capitalised with the pointed free. The Reds went one up again when Mark Gilsenan pointed. Damo McGee intercepted a Longwood pass in his half back line. He passed up along the left wing to Ciaran Joyce. His return pass to the advancing McGee split the opposition defence and Gilsenan capped a great move with the score. Trim were gaining the ascendency at this stage with stout defending. A sweeping move from the Reds in the twenty second minute started with a masterful block by David Foley in the half back line. He found Frankie Murphy in the middle of the field who unleashed a long ball into the square where James Toher came out of the melee to toe poke the ball to the net. Trim looked in control. A gap had opened with a margin of four points but great resilience and character from Longwood saw them hit four points on the trot in the six minutes leading up to the break leaving the sides going in level pegging at 1-4 to 0-7.

Within three minutes of the restart Trim had two points on the board. Ronan Fitzsimons won the ball from the throw in. He found mid field partner Frankie Murphy who was fouled when advancing forward. James Toher was on the mark with the resulting free. Fitzsimons was involved again for the second point when after fielding from the kick out he hit long to James Toher who flicked on the in running Damo McGee who fired over to put his side two points ahead.

The Wood responded with two points within three minutes to keep in touch. Both sides then swapped points at the ten minute mark with James Toher hitting Trim's from a free kick. Trim failed to take advantage of good defending and attacking play with two wides half way through the half. Longwood then went one up with a point in the sixteenth.

The Reds responded quickly with two points. The first was a quick free to Michael Lowther who fired over and the second an excellent effort from Frankie Murphy after great foraging by Shane Kennedy. Longwood pulled the game back to level pegging for the eight time with a point with six minutes left. With proceedings poised on a knife edge the experienced Trim side held their composure the better with two points at the death while their opponents hit four wides and thus squandering possible victory. Trim's final points were both hit by Michael Lowther. The first came from a brave interception by Ciaran Joyce who was then fouled. The final point was a gem from Lowther who hit the free from the left hand sideline forty meters out.

Trim's goal keeper Brendan Murphy had an outstanding game. He pulled off three fine saves half way through the second half to keep his side in contention.

Trim will be in second round action in five days time when they take on Kells on Friday evening in Simonstown.

The Trim team was: Brendan Murphy; Colm O'Flaherty, Robert Brennan, Maurice Power; David Foley, Stephen Farrell, Shane O'Connor; Ronan Fitzsimons, Frankie Murphy, Paul Flanagan, Ciaran Joyce, Damien McGee; Mark Gilsenan, James Toher, Neil Heffernan. Subs - Shane Downes for Stephan Farrell, Michael Lowther for Mark Gilsenan, Shane Kennedy for Paul Flanagan, Gary Clarke, Keith Hamilton, Darryl Phelin, Ciaran O'Rourke, Andrew O'Brien, James Andrews, Eoin Kelly, Gary Clarke.

Trim scorers were: James Toher 1-4 (4 frees), Michael Lowther (0-3), Neil Heffernan 0-1, Mark Gilsenan 0-1, Damien McGee 0-1, Frankie Murphy 0-1.

Anyone who was in Summerhill on Saturday evening last will understand why Brendan Murphy is still one of the best keepers in the country pulling off numerous world class saves to ensure a Trim victory in the Intermediate championship game against Longwood.

The match was in the melting pot until the last kick of the game and on the overall balance of play Longwood will be disappointed the didn't get a victory. Trim scored a sloppy goal after a mix up in the Longwood defence after 20 minutes which proved to be the difference in the end.Longwood responded straight away with four points through Rory Maguire(3) and Karl Ennis to leave it level at the break 1-4 to 0-7 points.

Trim were first to score in the second half with a free. Throughout the whole second half Longwood dominated possession and wasted several opportunities in front of goal. Both teams traded points throughout the second half with Anthony Healy,Aaron Ennis,Karl Ennis and Rory Maguire doing the scoring.
Longwood's defence was very good throughout,Micheal Burke and Rory Maguire were on top at mid field while Anthony Healy,Karl Ennis and Wayne Leonard worked hard up front.

Longwood: S Coloe, B Hanna, E Dixon, C Keenan, E Lynch, V Byrne, R Keenan, M Burke, S Sheridan, R Moore (0-1), R Maguire (0-6), A Healy (0-2), K Ennis (0-1), W Leonard, A Ennis (0-2). Subs - C Lynch for R Moore, D Healy for A Healy, B Maguire for A Ennis Tweet

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