A great day out at City Calling Stadium as De Town win El Clasico
A controlled and comfortable performance sees De Town get back to winning ways in the last El Classico of the 2018 season. An Athlone own goal and goals from Aodh Dervin and Jamie Hollywood sees Longford get all 3 points.
Karl Chambers receives his Player of the Month award for July from Ray Grehan, LTFC Supporters’ Club
Some of the action from tonight’s 3-0 home win against Athlone Town.
The 3 goals which bagged all three points against Athlone tonight.
Pics from the Family Fun Day where the young and not so young entered into the spirit of the fun event.
Fair play to the players who make time for their young supporters after each home game. As you can see some of them are awestruck at meeting their heroes up close and personal.
MATCH PREVIEW: Longford Town v Athlone Town
Match Preview by Kieran Burke (@KieranBTS)
Rarely in the last few seasons has a Midlands derby between Longford Town and their Athlone rivals meant so much, but on Saturday night the stakes couldn’t be higher as only a win will keep Longford’s promotion hopes alive, following a disappointing recent run of form.
While last weekends 6-1 defeat away to promotion rivals Shelbourne was littered with controversial decisions and missed chances for ‘’De Town’’, Longford boss Neale Fenn will know results are the only thing that matter at this stage of the season and hard luck stories will he of no use at the City Calling Stadium on Saturday night.
With the clubs Family Fun Day running from 5.00pm, it is hoped there will be a swell in attendance for this crucial local derby as Longford look to cut the gap on the play-off places to just a single point (other results depending).
With a high profile FAI Cup tie away to Sligo Rovers next week, followed by another trip west to face Galway United in a potential promotion play-off six pointer, Fenn and his players are sure to be aware of the importance of building some much needed momentum with a win over the First Divisions bottom side on Saturday night.
In terms of team news, recently signed striker, Jamie Doyle will sit out the game known in these parts as the Midlands ‘’El Clasico’’ having seen red at his former club last Friday, while fellow front man Dean Byrne remains out through injury.
Action from Town’s previous away encounter at Athlone Town Stadium.
While there is no team news as of yet available for the visitors, Athlone Town have put in some much improved performances against some of the divisions top sides in recent weeks. Having been extremely unlucky not to claim a point against second placed Drogheda United a fortnight ago, the Blue and Black side of the Midlands divide ran UCD close last weekend, only losing out through a Gary O’Neill penalty for the league leaders.
Longford Town fans will of course need no reminder of the last meeting with Athlone Town as former Longford man, Aaron Brilly scored for the hosts, following a fine set-piece move, to earn his side a share of the spoils in what was seen as a huge slip up in the promotion race by Neale Fenn’s charges. That man Brilly is sure to be out to prove a point to his former employers once more and given his experience at this level with Cabinteely and Athlone Town, his threat must be taken seriously.
Kick-off at the City Calling Stadium on Saturday night is 7.30pm and referee Anthony Buttimer will take charge of this often fiery fixture.
The Longford Town FC Family Fun Day is on August 4th!
Who is ready for our LONGFORD TOWN FC FAMILY FUN DAY on August 4th?! 😁
Like and share our poster on our Facebook page and tag a friend below to win a Family Pass into our Fun Day and the El Clasico v Athlone after!
- Inflatable Games!
- Face Painting!
- Balloon Maker!
- Meet the Players!
- Ice Cream/Sweets/Drinks!
- Family Zone!
#CmonDeTown #FamilyFunDay #LongfordTownFC
Longford Town v Athlone Town Match Preview
Preview by Kieran Burke (@KieranBTS/@BetweenStripes)
In what is surely a Midlands derby first, Athlone Town look set to travel to City Calling Stadium on Saturday evening (kick-off 7:30pm) without a goalkeeper in their squad.
Former Longford boss and current Athlone Town manager, Aaron Callaghan has hinted in the national media that this may very well be the case due to the fact the club are without their regular choices through injury and work commitments and that FAI rules permit the club from promoting one of the clubs underage players to the senior squad, while emergency deals are not open to amateur status sides, which Athlone Town fall under.
Teenage midfielder Luke Kelly played the full ninety-minutes between the posts last time out as rock bottom Athlone lost 2-1 to Cabinteely. Considering the circumstances in which Callaghan’s boys found themselves in, this was in fact something of a morale booting result for the Westmeath outfit, who have lost all three of their opening First Division assignments, included heavy 4-1 and 6-0 defeats to Galway United and Drogheda United respectively.
As for Neale Fenn’s Longford Town, it will be interesting to see how the hosts approach a game many are asking how large a margin they might win by as opposed to the result being in any doubt.
Regardless of outside perception, a win in this home encounter is of crucial importance for the ‘Red and Black’, who suffered a heartbreaking and somewhat cruel away defeat in Tolka Park last Friday. A hat-trick from club legend, Davy O’Sullivan downed the side ‘’Sully’’ represented proudly for five-years as the centre-forward converted two penalties, including a 90th minute winner to earn Shelbourne a 3-2 triumph over the 2014 champions.
Lessons will have to be learned both defensively, mentally and in terms of discipline by ‘’De Town’’, who had Dylan McGlade and Sam Verdon both dismissed during a heated encounter against ‘’Shels’’ last time out.
Action from last week’s heated encounter at Tolka Park v Shelbourne (Pic: Eoin Smith / extratime.ie)
Neither of those players will be available to Neale Fenn this weekend, while Darren Meenan sadly suffered a hamstring injury in the opening half of that game against the Dublin club and is likely to miss a number of weeks.
Longford Town manager, Neale Fenn, hoping for a victory in this weekend’s El Clasico.
Other than the goalkeeping crisis at Athlone, there is little team news to report at this time. Aaron Callaghan has opted for large scale changes in each of his team selection so far this this season, although he may opt for a more settled line-up considering the positive performance against Cabinteely, in which Athlone scored an equalizer, only to let parity slip in rapid time.
Callaghan is quoted as been impressed by the performance of ex-Longford youth, Aaron Brilly, who has also played for Cabinteely previously in the League of Ireland, while 2014 title winner with Longford, Etanda Nkololo is also a member of the current Athlone Town set-up and played in the humiliating 7-1 defeat at the hands of Longford at City Calling Stadium last season.
With a combined total of twenty-six goals either way in the six league games involving these two clubs and other opposition so far this season, get yourself down to the home of football in the Midlands this Saturday night if you want to be entertained.
Admission is just €10 for adults, €8 for students/OAPS and a bargain busting €5 for children under 12! Kick-off is 7:30pm.