Tag: match preview

MATCH PREVIEW: Longford Town v Shelbourne

Thu May 17th 2018

Preview by Tony Ghee

Longford Town hope to make it three successive league wins on Saturday when they host promotion chasing rivals Shels at the City Calling Stadium on Saturday night. After successive home defeats to UCD and Finn Harps, Neale Fenn’s ‘Red & Black Army’ are back on track after beating Cobh 1-0 and Wexford FC 2-0 on their travels over the last two weeks. There was disappointment inbetween as Town exited the EA Cup losing to Cobh in the quater-final, but after three away games in-a-row, the home faithful should turn out in force to support the Midlanders in a crucial six-pointer against the Tolka Park outfit.

In the earlier league meeting at Tolka Park, Longford finished the game with nine players as both McGlade and Verdon received their marching orders in the last fifteen minutes with Shelbourne winning the game 3-2 with a late, late injury time penalty. David O’Sullivan who spent five seasons at the City Calling Stadium, earning iconic status as the club’s all time record goalscorer, came back to haunt the Town with a hat-trick against his former club that he only left at the end of last season. Sully has continued his rich vein of scoring form with the Dubliners netting ten times already this season.

As well as O’Sullivan, the Town defence will also need to keep an eye on the mercurial James English and the lively Adam Evans in their bid to record a third successive league clean sheet. Since beating Galway 2-0 at Tolka Park towards the end of April, Shelbourne have drawn their last three league matches,1-1 away to Drogheda United, 1-1 at home to leaders UCD, and 0-0 at home to Finn Harps, so they are under pressure to get back to winning ways.

Action from Longford Town’s last league encounter v Shelbourne in Tolka Park. Photograph: Eoin Smith / extratime.ie

Only three points separate second placed Drogheda from sixth placed Longford Town with Shelbourne in fifth place just a point ahead of Longford and the current top six should be the teams that will battle it out for the title and the three promotion play-off places at the end of the season.

On the team news front, Aodh Dervin and Peter Hopkins have recovered well from their knocks but Saturday’s game is probably too early for them to be risked with the Midlands Derby the following week away to Athlone their likely return fixture, but definitely out of Saturday’s match are Shane O’Connor, Adam O’Connor,  Cian Byrne, and Alan Kehoe.

Kick-off on Saturday evening at the City Calling Stadium is 7.30pm.



MATCH PREVIEW: Cobh Ramblers v Longford Town

Sat May 5th 2018

Match Preview by Tony Ghee

Longford Town look to bounce back from two successive home league defeats to UCD and Finn Harps when they travel to St. Colman’s Park to face Cobh Ramblers in their next league encounter on Saturday night.

The Town were outplayed in their 2-0 defeat to UCD, but they were the superior team against Harps despite losing the game in the last minute. The Town have recorded two excellent cup wins in the last two weeks, beating Shamrock Rovers away in Tallaght in the EA Sports Cup courtesy of an 89th minute winner from Daniel O’Reilly and then on Tuesday night of this week, Longford defeated UCD 2-1 in the Leinster Senior Cup at the UCD Bowl.

Neale Fenn played a strong side in Tuesday night’s cup win over UCD with Hofmann, Adam O’Connor, Galvin, Chambers, Dean Byrne, Meenan and McGlade and Hollywood all starting while Mulhall, McDonnell, and Zambra all made substitute appearances.

Goalkeeper Jack Brady, midfielder Daniel Ridge, and striker Jackson Ryan were given much needed game time against UCD. Ryan’s Man-of-the-Match display and two goal salvo against UCD might earn him a starting place against Cobh on Saturday night as the ‘Red & Black’ seek a more clinical edge in front of goal.

Last season, Cobh’s impressive young team finished second in the league and won three of the four league encounters against Longford with the Midlanders emerging triumphant in the other clash, however, Cobh have struggled to maintain that momentum this season as they lie eighth in the table with just eight points.

Action from Cobh’s league visit to City Calling Stadium earlier this season.

Longford Town have dropped to sixth after the two recent losses, ten points behind leaders UCD and three points off a play-off spot, so a first away league win of the season is vital to keep the Town in touch with the teams above them.

In the earlier meeting this season, goals from Mulhall and Zambra gave Longford a 2-0 half-time lead, but second-half goals from Andrew Wall and Cian Leonard earned the Cork side a draw.

Saturday’s league game is the first of two games between the sides in just four days as they will meet again in the EA Sports Cup Quarter-Finals on Tuesday night also at St. Coleman’s Park.

On the team news front, Shane Elworthy, Alan Kehoe, Shane O’Connor, and Cian Byrne are still out, and they have been joined on the casualty list by Aodh Dervin who had to be replaced at half-time last Saturday against Harps. Exciting winger Peter Hopkins is available for the game and that is a big boost for the club.

MATCH PREVIEW: Cobh Ramblers v Longford Town

Thu May 3rd 2018

Match Preview by James Donnelly

Saturday night sees Longford Town FC travel down south to Cork to St. Colman’s Park to take on Cobh Ramblers in the SSE Airtricity League First Division.

The opening day of the season saw both teams battle it out in a 2-2 draw at City Calling Stadium although De Town were left feeling the more aggrieved considering they were 2-0 up for most of the game. Since then, Cobh have only won 2 games with Longford winning 3. Longford have scored 17 since the start of the season whereas the Cork men have struggled, only netting 9 times.

Going into Saturday’s game, Longford Town are without the services of midfielder Aodh Dervin (one month) who got injured during last week’s game against Finn Harps, Town are also without Alan Kehoe and Shane O’Connor. Peter Hopkins and Shane Elworthy are almost back to full health so it remains to be seen if they will play a part in Saturday night’s encounter. Evan Galvin limped off during last Tuesday night’s Leinster Senior Cup win over UCD at Belfield.

Longford Town are without the services of Aodh Dervin through injury

Cobh go into Saturday’s game off the back of a 3-0 loss away to Galway United. Stephen Henderson has quite a young squad this season so they will offer plenty of energy against Longford even if they are lacking in experience. De Town lost out on a 2-1 scoreline to Finn Harps at home last weekend. In a game that Longford dominated entirely, we were extremely unlucky to concede in the last minute. Cobh will be looking for a win to really kickstart their season and to try go on a good run of form where as Longford will be looking to make a statement and make up for chances and opportunities lost in previous games. Both teams will be looking for a win to get back on track and for a confidence booster, especially with the clubs facing each other again only 3 days later in the EA Sports Cup.



LEINSTER SENIOR CUP PREVIEW: UCD vs Longford Town

Mon Apr 30th 2018

Match Preview by Andrew Dempsey

Longford Town will, at long last, get their 2018 Leinster Senior Cup campaign up and running with a second trip to the capital within as many weeks as Neale Fenn’s Red and Black Army descend on the capital in the 4th round of the provincial competition to face Collie O’Neill’s First Division table toppers UCD at the UCD Bowl on Tuesday evening. (Kick-Off is at 7.45pm)

Town come into this game on the back of a heart-breaking two-one home defeat to promotion rivals Finn Harps at the City Calling Stadium on Saturday evening despite having much of the play at the Strokestown Road venue as Sam Todd popped up with a cruel blow right at the death.

However, Neale Fenn will take plenty of positives from the game as he knows that his squad are more than capable of holding their own against the division’s elite while playing an entertaining brand of open and attacking football.

On our last trip up to the capital, it was a night to remember for “De Town” as Neale Fenn and his players masterminded a fantastic one-nil victory at Tallaght Stadium as the captain on the night, Daniel O’Reilly scored the all-important winner at the Tallaght venue, which secured our first ever victory at Tallaght Stadium against Shamrock Rovers senior side.

UCD on the other hand have had enjoyed a fantastic start to their First Division campaign this season as the “Students” lie top of the pile after nine games, with some impressive wins over Shelbourne and Cabinteely aiding their cause along the way.

Last time the two sides met, it was Collie O’Neill’s clinical charges that came out on top as Georgie Kelly popped up with a brace as the in-form Donegal man brought the points back to Belfield.

In both of the sides last venture into the Leinster Senior Cup, Longford Town exited at the first hurdle against Firhouse Clover at Tallaght IT while UCD departed the competition in devastatingly cruel fashion in the semi-final against Dundalk via a penalty shootout.

Town, while never winning the competition previously did reach the final back in 2014 as we fell to a 2-1 defeat against Premier Division side St Patrick’s Athletic at the City Calling Stadium as current Town star, Sam Verdon helped Liam Buckley’s charges on their way to the title.

On the injury front, Shane O’Connor and Alan Kehoe remain side-lined with injuries sustained earlier on this season while Shane Elworthy and Peter Hopkins are also likely to miss out with injury problems. Local star Aodh Dervin is a doubt for the game having come off injured on Saturday night against Finn Harps while Cian Byrne is also likely to miss out.

Action shot from our previous league meeting with league leaders, UCD


Like Us On Facebook

Longford Town Football Club

@LongfordTownFC Tweets


© 2020 LONGFORD TOWN FC | All rights reserved.