Supporters Club Notes

Supporters’ Club Notes (25/10/15)

WE ARE STAYING UP

Following our emphatic 0-3 away win against Drogheda Utd, our status in the top flight is assured for an other season. Early and late strikes by Gary Shaw as well as a very late Stephen Rice goal gave us all three points and 6th place in the table. Who would have ever predicted that we’d pick up seven points from a possible nine in the last three games and as well as that score seven goals, six of them away to Cork and Drogheda.

Amazing it was our third win against the Drogs this season and they must be sick of the sight of us. Very early on, we beat them on penalties in the EA Cup and then back in April we beat them 0-3, the same score line as on Friday night. They may have the best keeper in the league but that didn’t seem to matter to De Town. Also on both occasions, due to a lack of discipline, they had a man red carded.

Full credit to the travelling support and K. S Burke, the booking manager, who never lost faith, to Fitzy our poster boy and to Pauro who kept the social media ticking over. All teams in all codes talk about the power of the supporters and certainly we were never found lacking at away venues.

Many people talk about the recent, long spell of good weather shortening the winter, well for the hard core followers of the red and black, the recent run of good results culminating with us sitting in 6th in the table, will certainly shorten the dark, long winter nights ahead. Yea, sing it out and sing it loud, We Are Staying Up….

Supporters’ Club Notes (18/10/15)

TOWN STUN CITY

De Town’s fabulous 2-3 win over Cork City down in Turner’s Cross provided three priceless points when they were most needed. De Town had never defeated Cork City in 25 league games which really puts Friday night’s victory into perspective. Reading the local paper, the Evening Echo before the game added to the sense of foreboding. It read “Longford have not won any of their last seven away fixtures, occupy eighth place in the table, two points clear of the play-off position and without a win in four!”
When Cork hit our post early on, the small but faithful band of supporters, must have been examining their collective sanity. Both managers had re-jigged their starting set up and it was clear that the hosts were intent on stopping their own poor recent league run. When Beattie bagged a goal for Cork on 34 minutes, the mountain ahead got a whole lot steeper and slippier. But David O’Sullivan showed his mountaineering skills when he levelled matters just six minutes later. Right throughout, Sully proved to be a real handful for the Cork backs. Within two minutes of his goal, Sully turned provider for super sub Stephen Rice to put the Town 2-1 up going into the break. There were 2,000 Corkonians in the 2,011 attendance and not too many were happy bunnies.

When the Leesiders drew level on 63 minutes from a Beattie goal, we expected an avalanche of attacks. Most of the travelling supporters would have gladly accepted a share of the spoils as the minutes ticked down in slow motion. Snatching all three points seemed like a dream too far. But the September player of the month, Kevin O’Connor likes scoring dramatic late winners and when he slammed home goal number three on 83 minutes, the dream became a reality. However memories of Sligo Rovers late, late heartbreaking equaliser the previous week was still raw in everyone’s mind. Thankfully there was to be no repeat scenario and De Town held out for a massive win and three priceless points.

The local support were left utterly stunned but in fairness to RTE man and huge Cork City supporter, John Creedon, he immediately tweeted his congratulations and best wishes to the Town supporters. It’s amazing what that win has done for morale locally and now hopefully it can be added to in the final two games.

DROGHEDA AWAY

On Friday, October 20th night we head to Drogheda in our final away game of the league with a kick off time of 7.45. Book your place as soon as possible on 083 1670304. Even though we might have avoided the automatic relegation spot, Friday night’s game is still massively important. Taking the foot off now would be fatal. Cork City may have taken us for granted last week and look what happened to them. The fact that we’ve done well in Drogheda so far this season, will count for nothing unless we maintain total concentration. Tony Cousins proved that he’s a wily old customer last week in Cork with some shrewd changes and no doubt he’ll have the team fully charged and ready for an other tough battle on Friday.

TWO TO GO

There is absolutely no comparison with this season and last season when it comes to the run in. With just two games remaining, there’s still a lot of sweating and praying as well as playing to be done. With a mere handful of points between teams in the lower section, literally anything can happen. Fair play to anyone who will accurately predict the eventual outcome. In case you’re unsure of the different games which lie ahead, the following might help. De Town face the Drogs away before our last game at home against Derry. Sligo Rovers have St Pats away, then Limerick at home. Bray play Galway at home before travelling to Dundalk. Limerick host Shamrock Rovers before they head up to Sligo. Galway have Bray at home before they head to St Pats and the Drogs play Shamrock Rovers away after us at home this Friday.

END OF SEASON AWARDS

There will many twists and turns and tears of joy and despair before the final curtain comes down on the 2015 season. But in the next two weeks or so, you can start thinking of our end of season awards. In particular, we’re looking for Player of the Season and Goal of the Season. After the game against Derry City, you can give your considered opinion to any Supporters’ Club committee member and all opinions will be listened to.

CAR BOOT SALE

Monday 26th of October will see our final car boot sale of the season and as usual it will beheld in the City Calling car park, from very early till 3pm. To date, each event has been a massive success and the Club is very grateful for the funds generated. For a successful car boot sale, we need a few things. Good weather is always welcome but equally as welcome would be a few more volunteers to help out. The weather is in the lap of the gods but volunteering is up to you, even an hour would greatly help. Give Liam Healion a shout, he’d love to hear from you.

Supporters’ Club Notes (12/10/15)

SO, SO CLOSE

Football showed its cruel side on Saturday night when we thought we had bagged three priceless points only for the bag to be snatched away with a cruel equaliser on 90 minutes. Saturday night was another perfect night for football and with one of the largest crowds of the season, all was perfectly poised. The fact though that the majority of supporters in the City Calling Stadium had travelled from Sligo clearly illustrated how important the tie was to them. And as soon as the first ball was kicked,their intent was clear as they attacked us at every opportunity. With the woodwork saving us and a goal line clearance and all backed up by a large vocal support, a long night was on the cards. The fact that they were reduced to ten men, didn’t seem to matter a whit such was Sligo’s intensity. But De Town held firm and while the football may not have been pretty, it certainly didn’t lack for passion and tension with both sides creating chances. However when Kaleem Simon found the back of the Sligo net on 82 minutes, it looked like the hosts had done enough to secure three valuable points and maybe even security in the top flight. Some Sligo Rovers fans began to drift away as we dared to dream. But on 90 minutes that dream turned into a nightmare when a speculative cross somehow ended up in the Town net. Is it any wonder the visitors were singing their love for Longford at the final whistle. It was a hard blow to take but take it we must and move on to Cork away on Friday night. As one local optimist put it “after 20 minutes of the first half, we’d have been happy to take a point”; the replies he received though are unprintable.

Supporters’ Club Notes (05/10/15)

CUP EXIT

Section O brought some flair and indeed some flares to Oriel Park last Friday night but in the end we just didn’t have enough flair up front on the pitch to trouble the potential League and Cup winners. Overall this season, we’ve played three times up in Dundalk and have conceded three times but without scoring once. Playing the top side in the land on their own patch and missing a few of our first choice players, proved to be a bridge too far. A set piece goal and a deflected goal were enough to see the Lilywhites play Cork in the FAI Cup Final next month in the Aviva. Most of the players put in a hard night’s effort but the gulf in class was all too evident. In truth the hosts were comfortable winners and we never really threatened their keeper. There are much more important games on the menu now for the whole month of October. Here’s hoping for some flair on the field of play for the remaining games.