Tag: match report

Match Report: Longford Town FC 3-1 Athlone Town AFC

Sat May 25th 2019

Match Report by Tony Ghee

Longford Town moved up to second place in the First Division table just a point behind leaders Shelbourne, after a brace from Dean Byrne and a penalty from Sam Verdon earned Neale Fenn’s charges a three-one victory over Midland rivals Athlone Town at the City Calling Stadium.

The home side took the lead on the quarter-hour mark when Verdon was inexplicably shoved over by Athlone centre-half Ciaran Grogan. Verdon dusted himself down, and calmly despatched the penalty, sending keeper Aaron Myles the wrong way.

Longford’s lead was very short-lived as Athlone were back on level terms within two minutes as the home defence were caught napping. Longford failed to properly clear a left-wing cross from Kaleem Simon, allowing Aaron Brilly to slip the ball through to striker Dean Williams and he poked home the equaliser.

Longford regained the lead on thirty-one minutes when Dean Zambra’s corner resulted in Kealan Dillon’s poor headed clearance being put back into the Athlone box by Paul O’Connor and Byrne brilliantly finished to the Athlone net.

The ‘Red & Black’ almost scored a third on thirty-eight minutes but Anto Breslin’s twenty-five yard free-kick struck the Athlone crossbar.

Longford Town started the second-half in whirlwind fashion and were again denied by the woodwork just four minutes after the resumption. Verdon’s exquisite curling shot from just outside the box on the left came back-off the far post and was gathered at the second attempt by Athlone keeper Myles despite being under pressure from O’Connor.

Dean Byrne grabbed his second of the contest and Longford’s third on fifty-three minutes when he created space for himself before rifling his shot to the Athlone net.

The home side created another good chance in the sixty-fifth minute. Aaron Dobbs released Byrne down the left, he skipped past Evan White, got to the end-line and whipped in a cross that was headed narrowly wide by Verdon.

Byrne was denied his hat-trick on seventy-seven minutes when he weaved his way into the Athlone box from the left only for his effort to be saved by Athlone stopper Myles.

TEAM LINE-UPS

Longford Town: Steacy, Elworthy, McDonnell, Kenna, Breslin, Zambra, Verdon, Dervin, O’Conor, Byrne, Dobbs.
Substitutions: Chambers for Verdon & Hollywood for Zambra (both 72 minutes)

Athlone Town: Myles, White, Buckley, Grogan, Casey, Kearney, Hogan, Brilly, Dillon, Simon, Williams.
Substitutions: Stokes for Hogan (63 minutes), Lotefa for Dillon (76 minutes)

Referee: Garvin Taggert

PICTURES BY TIERNAN DOLAN



Match Report: Galway United 2-1 Longford Town FC

Fri May 17th 2019

Match Report by James Donnelly

SSE Airtricity League First Division
Galway United FC 2-1 Longford Town FC
Friday 17th May 2019 | Kick-off: 7.45pm
Eamonn Deacy Park

Galway United took all three points at Eamonn Deacy Park tonight in what is Longford’s only second defeat of the season so far.

Two second half goals from talisman Vinny Faherty saw the tribesmen cancel out Dean Byrne’s first half opener and seal the win for the home side.

Galway had the first major chance of the game on 6 minutes when a mix up between Town defender Mick McDonnell and goal-keeper Lee Steacy saw the ball come loose but Steacy did well to get down and gather the ball under pressure from a Galway player.

De Town opened the scoring on 11 minutes when a mistake by Nugent in defence for Galway saw Dean Byrne punish the home side to put Longford in front. A high ball from the Red and Black was headed back towards goal by Nugent but he mistakenly thought Horgan was there to collect when in fact he was just behind him. Horgan and Byrne raced after the ball but it was the Longford Town player who got there first and he tapped it under the arms of the Galway keeper and into the net.

Galway could have been level on 34 minutes when Cian Flaherty had a looping header magnificently saved by Lee Steacy in the Longford goal. Only moments later, Steacy was called into action again when he denied Conor Melody’s low flying shot.

At half time, Longford probably deserved to be leading but Galway had their chances and knew it was still all to play for in the second half.

Dean Byrne who got Longford’s only goal v Galway United tonight.

The home side got their equalizer within minutes of the restart. Marc Ludden with a cross to Vinny Faherty who placed a perfect header beyond the reach of Lee Steacy in goal on 49 minutes.

Galway could have had their second on 52 minutes when Donal Higgins dispossessed Conor Kenna and went through 1 on 1 with Lee Steacy but once again, De Town goal-keeper got down well to make another save.

Substitute Sam Verdon had a chance to put Longford ahead just aftet the hour mark. Some good build up play saw Shane Elworthy receive the ball down the right wing, his cross was headed clear but it eventually found Verdon and his shot forced a good save from Horgan in the Galway net.

Longford had another missed opportunity on 69 minutes when Aaron Dobbs raced clear of the Galway defence and was 1 on 1 with Horgan but he sliced his shot wide. Dean Byne then had a chance only 5 minutes later. Leaving two Galway players in his wake, he drove from midfield at the Galway defence but his shot was straight into the hands of Horgan.

Galway looked the more likely to score in the remaining minutes and they did just that. Nearly a carbon copy of his first goal, Vinny Faherty again got in between the Longford defenders to place a header into the back of the net with only 5 minutes remaining.

De Town tried for an equaliser but the home side ran out deserving winners in the end.

Pictures by Ken Keenan

TEAM LINE-UPS:

Galway United: Kevin Horgan, Christopher Horgan, Marc Ludden, Stephen Walsh (C), Maurice Nugent, Conor Melody, Vinny Faherty, Cian Murphy, Wilson Waweru, Ivan Gamarra, Donal Higgins.

Subs: James Tierney (GK), Iarfhlaith Davoren (replaced Higgins), Colin Kelly, Ronan Asgari, Mark Hannon (replaced Faherty), Shane Doherty (replaced Waweru), Matthew Barrett.

Longford Town: Lee Steacy, Shane Elworthy, Anto Breslin, Mick McDonnell, Conor Kenna, Peter Hopkins, Aodh Dervin, Dean Zambra, Adam Evans, Dean Byrne, Aaron Dobbs.

Subs: Jack Menton (GK), Jamie Doyle (replaced Hopkins), Carlton Ubaezuonu (replaced Evans), Sam Verdon (replaced Dervin), Karl Chambers, Sean Brennan, Kevin Knight.

MATCH REPORT: Longford Town 0-1 Cabinteely

Sat May 11th 2019

Town lose unbeaten record in top-of-the-table clash

An eighty-fifth minute goal from striker Kieran Marty-Waters ended Longford Town’s unbeaten ten game run as Cabinteely recorded a priceless one-nil victory at the City Calling Stadium to replace the home side at the summit of the first division.

Cabinteely started the brighter and fired the game’s first salvo in the tenth minute. The division’s top scorer, Rob Manley, charged down the right, he cut inside to the end-line and his brilliant pull-back found Marty-Waters sixteen yards out from goal, but his shot was smartly saved by Town keeper Lee Steacy.

On eighteen minutes, a Marty-Waters’ free-kick from twenty-five yards out on the right forced a save from Town stopper Steacy.

The Town’s first real chance did not materialise until a minute before the interval. Anto Breslin whipped in a thirty yard free-kick from the right that picked out striker Dobbs, but his header was well saved by Cabinteely keeper Stephen McGuinness.

The visitors responded immediately but substitute Eoin Massey’s shot was saved by Steacy.

A very non-descript second-half came alive in the eighty-fifth minute when Cabinteely took the lead. A superb through ball on the turn from Manley picked out Marty-Waters, he skipped past Town defender Conor Kenna and blasted the ball to the roof of the Longford net from just inside the box.

Town substitute Sam Verdon’s injury time free-kick was deflected narrowly over the Cabinteely bar, and Pat Devlin’s charges secured all three points with a deserved victory.

TEAM LINE-UPS

Longford Town: Steacy, Elworthy, McDonnell, Kenna, Breslin, Zambra, Hopkins, Brennan, Dervin, Byrne, Dobbs.
Substitutions: Verdon for Brennan (65 minutes), Ubaezuonu for Hopkins (65 minutes), O’Connor for Zambra (87 minutes)

Cabinteely FC: McGuinness, Hudson, Tuite, Keeley, Hurley, Dalton, Labutis, O’Neill, Aspil, Marty-Waters, Manley.
Substitutions: Massey for Labutis (13 minutes), Carlin for Hurley (72 minutes).

Referee: John McLoughlin

Pictures by Tiernan Dolan



MATCH REPORT: Longford Town 1-0 Limerick

Sat Apr 27th 2019

MATCH REPORT BY TONY GHEE

Longford Town moved back to the top-of-the First Division as a Lee Steacy penalty save and a stunning Dean Byrne goal earned the ‘Red & Black’ a narrow one-nil victory over Limerick FC at the City Calling Stadium.

The first half provided very little excitement with shots being blocked or fired well wide by both sides.

However, the Town came close to taking the lead on thirteen minutes when Mick McDonnell’s header from Anto Breslin’s corner was saved by Limerick keeper Jack Brady, the ball came back out to Adam Evans but his close range shot was cleared off the line by a Limerick defender and then Sam Verdon completely missed connecting with his rebound effort from just six yards out.

Limerick missed a glorious opportunity to break the deadlock on fifty-two minutes when they were correctly awarded a penalty.

Sean McSweeney threaded a perfect pass through to Conor Ellis who was upended inside the Town box by Shane Elworthy and referee Alan Patchell pointed to the spot. Up stepped Shane Tracy but his low spot kick towards the bottom left corner was superbly saved by Town keeper Steacy.

Lee Steacy superbly saved a penalty in this game.

Limerick’s woes continued seven minutes later when they were reduced to ten players as striker McSweeney was shown a straight red card for a two footed lunge on Elworthy.

Longford Town made use of their extra man to take the lead on seventy-four minutes with an exquisite move that was brilliantly finished by substitute Dean Byrne.

Carlton Ubaezuono won possession just inside his own half and exchanged passes with Sean Brennan, Brennan cleverly switched play to the right wing where he found Byrne, and the substitute swapped passes with Elworthy, stepped inside and rifled a twenty yard shot to the Limerick net.

TEAM LINE-UPS

Longford Town (4-1-4-1): Steacy, Elworthy, McDonnell, Kenna, Breslin, Zambra, Ubaezuono (Chambers 80 minutes), Dervin, Brennan, Evans (Byrne 57 minutes), Verdon (Dobbs 71 minutes).

Limerick FC (4-2-3-1): Brady, Kelly, Williams, Brouder, Fitzgerald, Tracy, Murphy, Ellis, Hughes, O’Sullivan (Hanlon 85 minutes), McSweeney.

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