Tag: match report

Town lose to Drogheda to hand play-off initiative to the Louth side

Sat Sep 15th 2018

Match Report by Tony Ghee

Longford Town’s promotion play-off prospects hang by a very thin thread after a two goal salvo from Gareth McCaffrey earned promotion rivals Drogheda United a crucial two-one home victory last night.

The result means that Drogheda leapfrog Longford into the final play-off spot with a two point cushion and a superior goal difference going into the final round of matches next weekend.

Drogheda had the first chance on seven minutes when Richie Purdy’s quickly taken free-kick caught the Town defence napping, and the unmarked Chris Lyons whipped in a dangerous low cross that was just missed at the back post by the lunging Luke Gallagher.

Two minutes later, the home side came close again, as Gareth McCaffrey’s cross from the right picked out striker Lyons, only for Town keeper Mick Kelly to brilliantly save his close range strike.

Longford took the lead on fourteen minutes totally against the run of play. Town striker Dean Dillon won possession twenty-five yards out, weaved his way past three Drogheda defenders and magically curled a stunning twenty yard strike beyond Paul Skinner’s despairing dive into the bottom right corner.

Drogheda should have equalised in the thirty-second minute when William Hondermarck’s exquisite long-range ball over the top of the Town defence put in Mark Doyle, he charged into the box only to shoot wide when he should have rattled the Longford net.

Drogheda deservedly equalised on thirty-five minutes when McCaffrey’s brilliant twenty-five yard free kick from the left, rocketed past Town stopper Kelly and nestled in the bottom right corner.

McGlade could have restored the lead for Longford just before half time, but his lob from a difficult angle on the right over the outrushing home keeper Skinner sailed wide.

The Town had a great chance to regain the lead six minutes after the resumption. Karl Chambers brilliantly dispossessed Conor Kane and passed to McGlade, he inturn released Peter Hopkins with a cleverly disguised pass, Hopkins raced into the box and fired a low shot that Skinner saved with his feet.

On sixty-four minutes, Drogheda won a free-kick on the left which resulted in Gallagher firing McCaffrey’s dangerous ball wide.

Disaster struck for Longford on sixty-nine minutes when Lyons ball over a very high-line Town defence put McCaffrey in the clear, and although he looked well offside, his cool, composed, chipped finish past Kelly was allowed to stand.

Longford almost drew level three minutes later when Chambers just managed to beat Skinner to the ball, however, his sliding effort from a very tight angle hit the side-netting.

A mix-up between Dervin and Zambra almost resulted in a third goal for the home side but Lyon’s diagonal shot flashed just inches wide of Longford’s far post.

The Town almost snatched a dramatic equaliser with the last attack of the game when Town keeper Kelly joined the attack and rose highest to connect with McGlade’s corner, but his header agonisingly went inches wide.

Picture from droghedaunited.ie

TEAM LINE-UPS

Drogheda United (4-2-3-1): Skinner, Deasy, Kelly, Gallagher, Kane, Purdy, Hyland, McCaffrey (Dillon 75 mins), Hondermarck, Doyle (Adeyemo 92 mins), Lyons.

Longford Town (4-4-2): Kelly, Chambers, McDonnell, O’Reilly, Noack-Hofmann, Hopkins (Ryan 94 mins), Dervin, Zambra (O’Neill 83 mins), McGlade, Dillon, Doyle.

MATCH PHOTOS BY KEN KEENAN


Match Report: Shelbourne FC 6-1 Longford Town FC

Sat Jul 28th 2018

Match Report by James Donnelly

Longford Town FC suffered their heaviest defeat of the 2018 season on Friday night as Neale Fenn’s 10 man team went down 6-1 to Shelbourne at Tolka Park. De Town came into the game off the back of a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Wexford FC last week so confidence was high going into the game.

Shelbourne had the first chance of the night, when former Town player and club record goal-scorer David O’Sullivan’s glancing header went wide of the post. From then, Longford settled into the game and began a period of pressure on the home team. New Town signing and former Shelbourne man Jamie Doyle went close, only being denied by the hands of Dean Delany in goal. Dylan McGlade caused problems on the wing along with Karl Chambers and Shane Elworthy on the opposite side.

Against the run of play however, Shelbourne got their first goal of the night just before half time, when a free in to the box was met in the air by Dave Mulcahy who flicked it into the far corner to head home.

Town immidiately responded in the second half and got the equalizer 5 minutes in. Tristan Noack-Hofmann made a great run down the left wing before cutting inside and earning a corner. McGlades delivery was met by Michael McDonnell who’s header towards goal fell to Sam Verdon who tapped it in from close range to level things up.

Sam Verdon celebrates scoring Longford Town’s equalizer. Photo: Ken Keenan Photography

From then on, things went downhill. Shelbourne got their second of the night on 68 minutes when a good break saw the ball driven across the box before it fell to Karl Moore on the left who drove it under the legs of both Elworthy and Kelly in the Town goal.

A moment of madness only 2 minutes later saw the home side get their 3rd goal of the night. Daniel O’Reilly picked up the ball in the centre circle, holding posession, he turned back towards Sam Verdon to pass it off. As he did, the ref ran towards him and the ball ricocheted off him and into the path of a Shels man who sent David O’Sullivan through 1 on 1 with Kelly and the former Longford record goal scorer made no mistake in slotting it home, much to the anger of the travelling support and assistant Manager Daire Doyle who was inevitably sent to the stand.

Doyle went close again for Longford, this time turning on to his left foot inside the Shels box and forcing Delany to pull off a stunning save from close range. Things went from bad to worse for De Town however, Doyle was harshly sent off follwing an exchange with the ref after he had been deemed to have fouled a Shelbourne player.

Shels then took control of the game in the last quarter. Karl Moore completed his hat-trick to make it 5-1 before the Dublin side were awarded a soft penalty in the last few minutes in which James English cooly shot low to the left to make it 6.

A tough, tough night for Neale Fenn and co.

TEAM LINE-UPS

Shelbourne: Dean Delany, John Ross Wilson, Dave Mulcahy, Lorcan Fitzgerald, Aidan Collins, Karl Moore, Mark Hughes, Adam Evans, Gavin Boyne, David O’Sullivan, James English

Subs: Lee Steacy, Dayle Rooney, James O’Brien (sub for Gavin Boyne), Greg Moorehouse, Reece McEnteer(sub for Aidan Collins), Cian Kavanagh, Shane Farrell

Longford Town: Michael Kelly, Shane Elworthy, Michael McDonnell, Daniel O’Reilly, Tristan Noack-Hofmann, Dylan McGlade, Jamie Hollywood, Aodh Dervin, Karl Chambers, Sam Verdon, Jamie Doyle (Red Card)]

Subs: Ben Kelly, Darren Meenan (sub for Jamie Hollywood), Eoin O’Neill (sub for Sam Verdon), Evan O’Connor, Dean Dillon (sub for Karl Chambers), Dean Zambra, Warren Mitchell.

Hear from Longford Town FC Manager Neale Fenn after the game: https://soundcloud.com/longford-town-tv/post-match-interview-with-neale-fenn-shelbourne-fc-270718

MATCH REPORT: Longford Town 3-0 Wexford FC

Sun Jul 22nd 2018

Match Report by Tony Ghee

Longford Town got their promotion push back on track with a comfortable three-nil victory over Wexford FC at the City Calling Stadium to move within a point of fourth placed Shelbourne, and to within three points of third placed Finn Harps. After a scoreless first-half, a second-half brace from McGlade and another second-half goal from Noack-Hofmann who deflected home an O’Reilly strike gave the ‘Red and Black’ all three valuable points.

The Town had the first chance of the contest after just three minutes when a superb Elworthy ball over the top of the Wexford defence released Verdon down the right, he cut inside and fired a low, diagonal shot that just whistled inches wide of the far post.

Wexford almost found the Town net in the sixth minute when an arching George header at the back post was brilliantly palmed away by Town stopper Kelly.

Danny O’Reilly tried his luck on sixteen minutes with a long range strike that was only just too high, and although the Town dominated possession for the rest of the half and created several half chances, Wexford keeper Chambers endured no danger until the forty-third minute. Chambers cleverly created space for himself down the right and his perfectly weighted cross picked out Verdon but his header was saved by Chambers.

The Town got off to the perfect start to the second half when they took the lead within a minute of the resumption. Verdon raced into the box on the right and his low cross deflected off a Wexford defender into the path of McGlade and he drilled home the opening goal.

On fifty minutes, Danny O’Reilly nearly doubled the Town’s advantage with a twenty yard half-volley that went narrowly wide after shaving the post.

Longford should have gone two-up on fifty-six minutes when a Chambers cross bounced off the chest of Wexford defender Cahill and landed at the feet of unmarked Town striker Dillon just ten yards out from goal, but he somehow blazed well over when he should have scored.

However, Dillon made amends just three minutes later when his battling tenacity from a McGlade free-kick helped him to set up O’Reilly whose shot from just inside the box, defected off Noack-Hofmann into the net to put Longford two goals clear.

It got even better for the home side on sixty-six minutes when Elworthy’s excellent cross was guided to the net from close range by McGlade for his second off the night and the Town’s third.

Jamie Doyle should have made it four shortly afterwards but he shot straight at Chambers in a one-on-one situation.

Town keeper Kelly easily saved a twenty-five yard curling effort from Wexford’s Masood on eighty-five minutes, and the home side cruised home to secure a well deserved triumph.

Next up for Neale Fenn’s charges is a mouthwatering trip to Tolka Park next Friday to take on promotion rivals Shelbourne.

TEAM LINE-UPS

Longford Town: Kelly, McDonnell, Noack-Hofmann, O’Reilly, Dervin, Elworthy, Hollywood, Chambers, Verdon, Dillon, McGlade.
Substitutions: Doyle for Dillon (65 minutes), Ryan for Chambers (71 minutes),

Wexford FC: Chambers, McCarten, Cahill, Kelly, Morgan, Masood, Byrne, Sutton, O’Connor, George, Nugent.
Substitutions: Smithers for O’Connor (61 minutes), O’Reilly for Kelly (77 minutes)

MATCH REPORT: Longford Town 1-0 Drogheda United

Sat Jun 16th 2018

Match Report by Tony Ghee

Longford Town bounced back from their away defeat at Cabinteely with an excellent one-nil victory at home to promotion challengers Drogheda United to move back into the play-off places, as Sam Verdon’s sixth league goal of the season sealed the crucial three points for Neale Fenn’s charges at the City Calling Stadium last night.

The Town were missing the suspended Meenan and Galvin, and the injured Hopkins and Byrne, but Dervin was back in the panel after having completed his Leaving Cert. Drogheda were missing Conor Kane after he was injured at the City Calling Stadium on Tuesday during the Irish Colleges and Universities 2-1 victory over their French counterparts.

Drogheda were by far the superior team in the opening twenty-five minutes but failed to convert their dominance into goals.

In the eleventh minute, Drogheda striker Lyons should have scored but he fired his swivel shot straight at Town stopper Kelly from no more than eight yards out.

Two minutes later, Jake Hyland came very close to opening the scoring for the visitors but Kelly was alert to palm Hyland’s twenty yard curling strike around the post. Kelly was again called into action from the subsequent corner when he produced a fine save from Doyle’s header.

The home side had another lucky escape in the twenty-first minute when Purdy’s crisp twenty yard shot with the outside of his left boot from a Hyland cut-back came crashing back off the Longford post.

However, against the run of play, Longford hit the front on twenty-seven minutes when the towering Verdon rose above his markers to brilliantly head home from a McGlade free-kick.

Once the Town scored, they grew in confidence and proceeded to play much better for the rest of the contest. A superb weaving run into the visitors box from McGlade had the Drogheda defence in turmoil and his clever pull-back picked out Verdon, but his goalbound shot was magnificently blocked by defender Farragher.

Drogheda came close to equalising on 31 minutes when they struck the post for the second time as Mark Doyle’s 15 yard shot was pushed onto the post by Town keeper Kelly.

The second-half produced very few chances for either side, but the Town played the better football. Drogheda’s best opportunity came early in the new half as a Lyon’s volley from a Deacy cross rocketed narrowly over the Town bar, while at the other end, the Town should have scored a second goal on eigthty-five minutes, however, Mulhall’s shot from Hollywood’s excellent pass was straight at Drogheda keeper Skinner.

There were some excellent individual displays from Elworthy, McDonnell and McGlade but one player who deserves special mention is Karl Chambers. Just like Dervin, and Noack-Hoffman, Chambers has graduated from the underage ranks into the first team and his superb all round display last night proved what a valuable asset he is to the ‘Red & Black’s’ promotion push.

The Town have now won their last three matches against fellow top six sides with victories over Galway United, Finn Harps, and Drogheda to build momentum going into the summer break. Hopefully, they can make it four in-a-row against leaders UCD at the Belfield Bowl in their next fixture on Friday, June 29th.

TEAM LINE-UPS

Longford Town: Kelly, Elworthy, McDonnell, O’Reilly, Hofmann, Zambra, Chambers, Hollywood, Dervin, McGlade, Verdon.
Substitutes: Mulhall for Verdon (81 minutes).

Drogheda United: Skinner, Deacy, Gallagher, Farragher, Kelly, McCaffrey, Doyle, Hyland, Purdy, Brennan, Lyons.
Substitutes: Hondermarck for Purdy (63 minutes), Duffy for McCaffrey (78 minutes).

Match highlights and post match interviews are all on our Longford Town TV YouTube channel. 

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