MATCH REPORT: EA SPORTS Under 17 National League

Longford Town concede late equaliser against Derry

Longford Town U17 1-1 Derry City U17

Report by Tony Ghee

The Longford Town Under 17 side had to settle for a share of the spoils at Bishopsgate after Derry City snatched a draw with a late equalizer to earn a one all draw.

The visitors created the first real chance in the tenth minute. Paul Johnston won possession of the ball on the left and delivered a superb ball to the feet of Luca Doherty in a central position on the edge of the Longford Town box, however, he fired his low shot narrowly wide with home keeper Tom Bourke well beaten.

The Town keeper came to his sides’ rescue a minute later when he came off his line brilliantly to narrow the angle and produce a stunning save from a Gaubhan Feeney strike.

Longford almost scored the opening goal on thirteen minutes from a corner. Owen Elding whipped in a great ball from the left to the back post where the towering Conor Moore rose highest to direct a superb header downwards, only for his effort to be cleared off the line by Keenan McConnell.

While the visitors had more of the possession in the first half, the home side always looked dangerous on the counter attack and caused quite a few problems with their quick transition from defense to attack.

Indeed, the Town took the lead on twenty-one minutes with a quick counter while under pressure inside their own penalty area. The ball was moved quickly to Sam Murray whose run into the Derry box was brought to a halt by a mistimed tackle from Feoud Bohohum.

Up stepped Owen Elding to brilliantly fire the ball to the keepers’ left-hand corner to give Longford Town the lead.

There were very few chances in the second-half and the Town had much more possession of the ball in the second forty-five minutes, but it was the visitors who had the two best chances of the half.

In the fifty-third minute, a great pass from Mailk Mbuu released Rory O’Donnell down the right flank, he ran to the end-line and pulled the ball back into the path of Luca Doherty, but his twelve-yard shot was superbly saved by Town keeper Bourke.

Just when it looked like Longford Town would hold on for victory, Derry levelled the contest two minutes from time.

The Candystripes won a free-kick and the Town back-line were caught napping as Coney McLaughren played in the unmarked Jay Bradley on the right. Bradley ran into the box and his low cross across the face of the Town goal was turned in at the back post by Rory O’Donnell.

The Town have four points from their opening three games of the season and hope to continue their encouraging start to the season next weekend.

Longford Town: Tom Bourke, Ryan Kelly, Callum Duignan, Solomon Eduard, Callum Kelly, Conor Moore, David MacHugh, Sam Murray, Patrick Montgomery, Ethan Mills, Owen Elding.

Subs used: Conor Kelly for Mills, Brian Johnson for MacHugh, Ryan McGuni for Callum Kelly, Milosz Koncriek for Montgomery, Ethan Teixeira for Elding.