Match Preview: Shelbourne v Longford Town

Thu May 30th 2019

BY ANDREW DEMPSEY

Longford Town make their second trip to the capital this season when they face top of the table Shelbourne at Tolka Park on Friday evening. (Kick-off is at 7.45pm)

Town boss Neale Fenn will be hoping that his side can kick on from their convincing derby day win over Athlone Town with a big result against Ian Morris’ side.

The Red and Black also come into the game having won the previous two games against the Reds by two goals in each in both the FAI Cup and First Division.

In the most recent showdown against Shels, Peter Hopkins and Karl Chambers both scored in what was a dominant victory for De Town.

However, Longford Town have not won a league game at Tolka Park since 2009, a memorable 5-4 win over Shelbourne which handed UCD the 2009 First Division crown.

Speaking to LTFC.ie, Town midfielder Jamie Hollywood admits that he is looking for revenge after Longford Town’s most recent defeat at the Dublin venue.

“The crowd from Longford is always great down in Tolka. The Shels fans are coming out in numbers again so it does create a nice atmosphere.

“You want to be playing in games like that. I’ve mentioned it already; the 6-1 defeat still is a bit sore from last year with a lot of us.

“The game got away from us because we felt we were well on top in the first half and then the sending off killed us. We were three-one down and we went for it, going close to make it three-two and then just like that it was 4-1 and the floodgates then opened.

“It wasn’t a 6-1 game, and I think that hurt us a bit because we really were on top and we probably felt like we should’ve won the game and I know it’s hard to believe when you lose 6-1 but we never stopped going forward.

“We probably could’ve sat in at 3-1 but that’s not like us. a few teams might want to do that, but we wouldn’t be like that.

“The game is going to be high-tempo with both teams looking for a really big result.”

In terms of team news, Sam Verdon is Neale Fenn’s only doubt for the trip to the Richmond Road venue.

MATCH REPORT | Longford Town 2-0 Shelbourne

Sat Mar 30th 2019

Town up to second after victory over Shels

Match Report by Tony Ghee

Goals from Peter Hopkins and Karl Chambers helped Longford Town to a two-nil victory over title favourites Shelbourne at the City Calling Stadium, a result that moves the ‘Red & Black’ up to second in the table just one point behind leaders Bray.

The Town took the lead on nineteen minutes after a dreadful mistake by Shelbourne keeper Delany. The visiting goalie’s throw was intercepted by Town winger Peter Hopkins, he waltzed past the challenge of central defender Luke Byrne, and drilled a low shot into the bottom right corner of the Shel’s net from the edge of the box.

It was almost two-nil to the home side just sixty seconds later, only for Delany to superbly tip-over Dean Zambra’s twenty-five yard thunderbolt.

MATCH PICTURES BY KEN KEENAN

Nine minutes into the second-half, a superb pass from the right from Shane Elworthy picked out Dobbs just inside the Shel’s box but his angled shot was well saved by Delany.

Shelbourne almost levelled the contest on fifty-eight minutes when Ryan Brennan’s downward header from a Lorcan Fitzgerald corner was headed off the line by Town winger Hopkins.

The visitors put the Town under severe pressure for the rest of the second-half but failed to test home keeper Steacy and deep into injury time, substitute Chambers sealed the three points with a fine strike that went in off the post.

TEAM LINE-UPS

Longford Town: Steacy, Elworthy, Kenna, McDonnell, Breslin, Zambra, Hopkins, Dervin, Verdon, Byrne, Dobbs.

Substitutes: Chambers for Hopkins (79′), Doyle for Dobbs (81′), O’Connor for Verdon (89′).

Shelbourne: Delany, Ross-Wilson, David Byrne, Luke Byrne, Fitzgerald, Oscar Brennan, Conan Byrne, Noone, Ryan Brennan, Moore, Kilduff.

Substitutes: Rooney for Conan Byrne (19′), English for Noone (59′)

Talk of the Town match programme out this Saturday!

Thu Mar 28th 2019

TALK OF THE TOWN | 🔴⚫️📖

In this weeks issue:
• Hear from Manager, Neale Fenn
• Captain’s Notes from Dean Zambra
• Andrew Dempsey interviews Lee Steacy
• Kieran Burke reports on the opposition
• Take a trip down memory lane with Marty Stapleton
• and much more!

MATCH PREVIEW: Longford Town v Shelbourne

Thu Mar 28th 2019

Match Preview by Tony Ghee

Longford Town take on joint title favourites Shelbourne at the City Calling Stadium on Saturday night with the big match getting underway at 7.30pm.

Longford are the only unbeaten team in the first division with wins at home to Drogheda and last week’s crucial away victory over a vastly improved Athlone Town, while Neale Fenn’s charges have also earned away draws with Limerick and Cabinteely.

Sam Verdon’s match winning goal in last week’s ‘El Classico De Midlands’ means that the Town are just one point behind the leading trio of Shelbourne, Bray and Athlone Town who all lost last weekend.

Bray were surprisingly beaten by bottom placed Wexford, while Shelbourne lost 2-1 away to Cobh.

Shelbourne also lost at home to Cabinteely but they have recorded three victories. They came back from two down to win three-two away to Galway, they impressively won two-nil away to Athlone Town, and also earned a three-nil home triumph over Wexford.

Last season, Shels won two of the three league meetings between the sides. The Dubliners won the opening encounter three-two at Tolka Park with Longford having two players dismissed late in the second-half. The second clash at the City Calling Stadium ended in a one-all draw, while Shels hammered Longford five-one in the final meeting at Tolka Park.

Shels have a lot of quality players in their ranks with Dean Delaney in goals, Derek Prendergast and Luke Byrne in defence, Ryan Brennan and Conan Byrne in midfield, and potent goalscoring threats in Karl Moore and the division’s joint top goalscorer Ciaran Kilduff.

The visitors will be without the suspended Greg Moorhouse after his injury time dismissal in last week’s defeat to Cobh, while Longford’s only absentee is the injured Carlton Ubaezuono.

Tag: shelbourne