Match Report

Match Report: Cork City FC 1-3 Longford Town FC

Sat Feb 2nd 2019

Match Report by James Donnelly

Longford Town sealed their first victory of the year with an impressive 3-1 win over Premier Division maestros Cork City at the Lotamore grounds today.

An own goal and goals from Paul O’Conor and Adam Evans saw the Red and Black take the win home following the ‘home’ sides opener.

Both teams started the game slowly with Cork having the better of the opportunities in the opening 20 minutes. Goalkeeper Jack Menton was forced to pull off a couple of great saves early. Aaron Dobbs held up the ball well for Longford and played a central role in the attacks for De Town.

Cork looked the more likely to score first and they did on 23 minutes when Sean McLoughlin headed past Menton from a corner after he wasn’t picked up at the back post.

Credit to Longford, they battled back and immediately began to press John Caulfield’s side. Karl Chambers and Shane Elworthy linked up well on the right hand side and caused problems for Cork throughout the first half.

It wasn’t long before we got the equalizer. A stroke of luck for us and misfortune for Cork, saw a backpass bobble in front of McNulty in goal and go straight under his legs and into the back of the net on 34 minutes to put De Town back on level terms.

The new-look Longford side didn’t stop there and immediately went on the attack again. Some nice, fast flowing football had Cork on the backfoot and it didn’t take long before Longford got their second. A counter attack saw Karl Chambers break down the right wing before playing it in to Paul O’Conor who laid it off to Adam Evans on the left flank. Evans swung in a wide cross and O’Conor was on the end of it to make it 2-1 to De Town.

Cork had the chance to equalize only moments later when they were awarded a penalty. Town goalkeeper Jack Menton had other ideas and stopped the shot brilliantly.

Aodh Dervin pictured last season against Cork City during the FAI Cup match at City Calling Stadium.

Longford’s third goal came just before half time when another swift counter attack saw Aaron Dobbs take the ball down just outside the centre cirlce before laying it off to O’Conor who played Adam Evans in behind the Cork defence where he made no mistake in slotting it by McNulty who made it 3-1 to De Town.

The second half saw a lot of changes for both sides with each using all of their respective subs. Cork began the second half with intent and bombarded Longford with pressure. Goalkeeper Lee Steacy was forced into a couple of good saves early on.

Cork tried but couldn’t break through the Longford defence. Tristan Noack-Hofmann and Michael McDonnell cleaned up in the centre while Anto Breslin and sub Tumelo Tlou impressed.

The game finished 3-1 to Longford and although it’s only pre-season, this was a fantastic result for Neale Fenn’s side and should be a major confidence booster going into Tuesday’s friendly with league and cup champions Dundalk at Oriel Park.

LINE-UPS

Cork City: McNulty (GK), Phillips, Casey, Barry, McLoughlin, Griffin, McCormack, Morrissey, Buckley, Tilley, Rainsford.

Subs: Harrington, Horgan, McCarthy, Bennett, Kavanagh, Hurley, Comerford, O’Connor, Cummins, Coughlan.

Longford Town: Menton (GK), Breslin, Manley, Kenna, Chambers, Dervin, Zambra, Elworthy, Dobbs, O’Conor, Evans.

Subs: Steacy (GK), Noack-Hofmann, Doyle, O’Sullivan, Fitzsimons, Tlou, O’Neill.

Watch match highlights of the game on our YouTube channel.

Darren McGarry’s U19 team defeats Derry City and go through to the Shield Semi-Final

Sun Oct 14th 2018

Congrats to our U19’s who defeated Derry City 3-2 in extra time, in the U19 Shield Quarter Final today at City Calling Stadium, having fought back from two-nil down. Paddy O’Sullivan scored twice, and Ruadhan Feeney scored for Town deep into the second half of extra-time to put Town through.Darren McGarry’s team now play Shelbourne in the semi-final, next Sunday, 21st October at City Calling Stadium with a kick-off time of 2.00pm.

You can find a match report of today’s exciting game on betweenthestripes.ie

MATCH REPORT: Bosnia & Herzegovina 1-3 Republic of Ireland

Wed Oct 10th 2018

EUROPEAN U19 CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019 QUALIFYING ROUND GROUP 10

Bosnia & Herzegovina v Republic Of Ireland

10/10/2018, City Calling Stadium, 3.00pm

Match Report by James Donnelly

The Republic of Ireland recorded a comfortable victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina today the City Calling Stadium. Goals from William Ferry, Troy Parrott and Adam Idah sealed the win for Tom Mohan’s side.

The visitors attacked first in the opening minute, their pacey number seven, Milan Savic shooting over from distance after cutting inside on his right foot. Bosnia & Herzegovina went close again on 5 minutes, this time from a floated free kick. Faris Zubanovic had his shot blocked by Irish centre back Lee O’Connor.

Bosnia & Herzegovina, who were the much more physical side caused problems for Ireland. The visitors could have opened the scoring on 7 minutes when Elder Sehic forced goal keeper Brian Maher to pull off a magnificent save from close range.

Ireland could have put themselves in front only 5 minutes later when a fantastic cross field ball to Glen McCauley found space out on the right wing, he pulled the ball back to Adam Idah in the box who’s powerful shot was tipped over the bar by Adnan Kanuric.

The boys in Green had another chance on 16 minutes when Adam Idah got in behind the visitors defence and volleyed from a beautifully weighted free but his effort was once again saved by Kanuric.

The visitors responded when Milan Savic cut inside onto his left and curled the ball towards the far post but his shot was saved by Maher in goal. Zubanovic almost caught the Irish napping when he flicked a backheel towards goal but Maher saved again.

Glen McCauley was causing problems down the right wing. Cross after cross came into the box but Bosnia & Herzegovina deal with the pressure.

Adam Idah went close yet again on 37 minutes when he turned his man and unleashed a low flying shot from outside the box to the right hand side but it narrowly went wide of the post much to the relief of the scrambling Kanuric.

Kanuric kept the visitors in it again with another fine save just before half time when a corner wasn’t dealt with and it fell to Conor Coventry for Ireland and he turned inside and shot across the box but Kanuric did well to leap out and gather the ball before an Irish head could get to it.

The second half came to life on 55 minutes when Conor Coventry, against the run of play, played a magnificent through ball in to William Ferry who blasted past Kanuric in goal top put Ireland ahead!

Bosnia & Herzegovina had a chance to equalize only moments later from a free but Savic’s effort was high over the bar.

The boys in Green went 2-0 up when Jack James was taken down in the box on 64 minutes. Troy Parrott stepped up to take the peno and cooly chipped it down the middle sending Kanuric the wrong way. Ireland were beginning to take control of the game.

Things got even better for Ireland on 73 minutes when Adam Idah finally got his goal after missing numerous opportunities in the first half. The strong forward found himself in space in the box and made no mistake, burying the ball past Kanuric in goal to put Tom Mohan’s charges in complete control.

The visitors got one back on 77 minutes when substitution Mateo Bozic’s free kick was wickedly deflected and left Maher with no chance.

They could have gotten a second back on 83 minutes when a free kick was whipped into the box but Maher did well to gather as the ball flew by bodies in the box.

The Boys in Green held out for the remainder of the game and look forward to Saturday when they take on the Faroe Islands at City Calling Stadium once again at 3.00pm.

Bosnia & Herzegovina

1. Adnan Kanuric, 3. Eldar Sehic (replaced by 13. Adis Mujkic), 4. Marko Brkic (replaced by 10. Dzani Salcin), 5. Nemanja Vjestica (replaced by 17. Dzenan Osmanovic), 6. Enio Zilic, 7. Milan Savic, 8. Stefan Santrac (replaced by 19. Mateo Bozic), 11. Faris Zubanovic (replaced by 9. Milan Sikanjc), 14. Jusuf Gazibegovic (C), 15. Igor Savic, 20. Ajdin Hasic.

Subs not used: 12. Jasmin Krsic, 2. Elvir Muminovic, 16. Haris Kotarevic, 18. Emir Sejdovic

Republic of Ireland

1. Brian Maher, 3. Jack James, 4. Lee O’Connor (C), 5. Nathan Collins, 6. Aaron Bolger, 7. Glen McCauley (replaced by 20. Ali Reghba), 8. Conor Coventry, 9. Adam Idah, 10. Troy Parrott, 11. William Ferry (replaced by 17. Barry Coffey), 12. Andrew Lyons.

Subs not used: 16. Kian Clarke, 2. Jordan Doherty, 13. Tom Gaston, 14. Richard O’Farrell, 15. Jason Knight, 18. James Clarke, 19. Jonathan Afolabi

Pictures by Tiernan Dolan

Town lose to Drogheda to hand play-off initiative to the Louth side

Sat Sep 15th 2018

Match Report by Tony Ghee

Longford Town’s promotion play-off prospects hang by a very thin thread after a two goal salvo from Gareth McCaffrey earned promotion rivals Drogheda United a crucial two-one home victory last night.

The result means that Drogheda leapfrog Longford into the final play-off spot with a two point cushion and a superior goal difference going into the final round of matches next weekend.

Drogheda had the first chance on seven minutes when Richie Purdy’s quickly taken free-kick caught the Town defence napping, and the unmarked Chris Lyons whipped in a dangerous low cross that was just missed at the back post by the lunging Luke Gallagher.

Two minutes later, the home side came close again, as Gareth McCaffrey’s cross from the right picked out striker Lyons, only for Town keeper Mick Kelly to brilliantly save his close range strike.

Longford took the lead on fourteen minutes totally against the run of play. Town striker Dean Dillon won possession twenty-five yards out, weaved his way past three Drogheda defenders and magically curled a stunning twenty yard strike beyond Paul Skinner’s despairing dive into the bottom right corner.

Drogheda should have equalised in the thirty-second minute when William Hondermarck’s exquisite long-range ball over the top of the Town defence put in Mark Doyle, he charged into the box only to shoot wide when he should have rattled the Longford net.

Drogheda deservedly equalised on thirty-five minutes when McCaffrey’s brilliant twenty-five yard free kick from the left, rocketed past Town stopper Kelly and nestled in the bottom right corner.

McGlade could have restored the lead for Longford just before half time, but his lob from a difficult angle on the right over the outrushing home keeper Skinner sailed wide.

The Town had a great chance to regain the lead six minutes after the resumption. Karl Chambers brilliantly dispossessed Conor Kane and passed to McGlade, he inturn released Peter Hopkins with a cleverly disguised pass, Hopkins raced into the box and fired a low shot that Skinner saved with his feet.

On sixty-four minutes, Drogheda won a free-kick on the left which resulted in Gallagher firing McCaffrey’s dangerous ball wide.

Disaster struck for Longford on sixty-nine minutes when Lyons ball over a very high-line Town defence put McCaffrey in the clear, and although he looked well offside, his cool, composed, chipped finish past Kelly was allowed to stand.

Longford almost drew level three minutes later when Chambers just managed to beat Skinner to the ball, however, his sliding effort from a very tight angle hit the side-netting.

A mix-up between Dervin and Zambra almost resulted in a third goal for the home side but Lyon’s diagonal shot flashed just inches wide of Longford’s far post.

The Town almost snatched a dramatic equaliser with the last attack of the game when Town keeper Kelly joined the attack and rose highest to connect with McGlade’s corner, but his header agonisingly went inches wide.

Picture from droghedaunited.ie

TEAM LINE-UPS

Drogheda United (4-2-3-1): Skinner, Deasy, Kelly, Gallagher, Kane, Purdy, Hyland, McCaffrey (Dillon 75 mins), Hondermarck, Doyle (Adeyemo 92 mins), Lyons.

Longford Town (4-4-2): Kelly, Chambers, McDonnell, O’Reilly, Noack-Hofmann, Hopkins (Ryan 94 mins), Dervin, Zambra (O’Neill 83 mins), McGlade, Dillon, Doyle.