Longford bowed out of the Leinster under-20 championship after a quarter-final defeat on penalty kicks to Westmeath.
A dramatic night in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park went the distance after the sides were level 3-5 to 2-8 at full-time and 3-9 to 2-12 after extra-time was settled 5-4 on penalties.
The sides were level throughout with Longford finding the net twice in the opening in five minutes with Jack Duggan on 19 minutes and James Moran on 24 making it 2-3 to four points.
Brandon Kelly was Westmeath’s danger man and his goal four minutes before the break made it a one point game at half-time 2-3 to 1-5.
Westmeath found the net with the first minute of the second-half through Senan Baker and went onto lead 2-4 to 2-7, Daniel Reynolds found Longford’s third goal on 43 minutes to square the game 3-4 to 2-7.
The sides exchanged a point each to bring the game to extra-time 3-5 to 2-8. Nothing could separate the sides in the additional time as they both found four points each to make it 3-9 to 2-12.
Penalty kicks were then used to decide the contest with Keelan McCann and Shane Fleming missing for Longford and Westmeath while Longford converted via Cian Dooner, James Moran, Jack Duggan and Sean Sullivan.
Westmeath converted via Jack Torpey, Jordan McDonnell, Senan Baker and Stephen O’Connor to tie the game 4-4 and send it to sudden death.
Senan Baker converted his second penalty as Cian Dooner blasted over the bar to give Westmeath the 5-4 win on penalty kicks.
