Tag: sse airtricity league

Match Report: Longford Town FC v Cork City FC

Sat Sep 8th 2018

Match Report by James Donnelly

The largest crowd of the season gathered at the City Calling Stadium on Friday night to witness Premier Division side Cork City take on Neale Fenn’s First Division Longford Town. Current Cup holders Cork City steamrolled into the City Calling Stadium and progressed to the semi finals of the FAI Cup after a controlled, professional performance against the Red and Black.

Cork looked to assert their dominance early on, Karl Sheppard showing intent when he went close after cutting inside from the right wing but his shot was expertly saved by Michael Kelly in the Longford goal.

The visitors didn’t take long in opening their account. Their first goal coming from their Captain on the night – Gearoid Morrissey on 20 minutes. A City corner wasn’t dealt with by Longford and Morrissey somehow, with his back to the goal, managed to flick it over his head and into the corner for a skillful finish.

Dylan McGlade, who had a quiet game for De Town, had a chance only a minute later when he cut inside on his favoured right foot but dragged his shot wide of Peter Cherrie’s goal.

Karl Sheppard showed his class for Cork’s second goal only 3 minutes after their first when he brilliantly rounded Karl Chambers twice before swinging in a cross that was met by a powerful header from Kieran Sadlier at close range that left Michael Kelly no chance.

McGlade went close again, this time picking up a loose cross, he cut inside the box before his zapping shot was deflected narrowly over the bar and out for a corner.

Longford supporters would have felt they could still be in with a fighting chance going in 2-0 down at half time but the game changing moment came on 40 minutes when referee Ray Matthews deemed Darren Meenan to have dangerously fouled a Cork man and gave the Dubliner a straight red. It was an uphill battle from then on for Longford after what seemed like a harsh sending off from the multiple angles the RTE cameras captured of the incident.

Jamie Doyle had a chance to grab a goal back for Longford just before half time. After doing well to hold the ball up from a Town clearance, he turned his man and managed to get a shot off but it was straight into the hands of Cherrie.

Longford Town’s Aodh Dervin pictured in action during Friday night’s cup clash with Cork City. Pic: Ken Keenan Photography

John Caulfield’s men started the second half as they did the first, pushing forward on Longford every time they got on the ball. The extra man didn’t help things for De Town and they conceded a third goal on 54 minutes when Ronan Coughlan pounced on a loose ball in the box to easily slot it home after some great work down the wing by Sheppard.

Cork got their fourth goal 15 minutes later when Sadlier swung a cross field ball to Griffin and his cross was met by Sadlier at the far post. A great move between the two players with the Leesider’s showing no mercy.

Former Longford Town man Josh O’Hanlon got Cork’s fifth goal after an assist from Sadlier from the left side and O’Hanlon made no mistake blasting it home with the left foot.

The goal of the game came from Sadlier on 88 minutes when he sealed his hatrick. Cutting inside from 30 yards out, he unleashed a rocket of a shot that went straight into the net past the outstretched hands of Kelly in goal. A goal that was appreciated even by the dissapointed Town supporters.

Cork wrapped things up in stoppage time when a counter attack saw a 4 on 2 move end with Barry McNamee scoring their seventh and final goal of the game.

Over 1.100 supporters turned up to the City Calling Stadium for Friday night’s game. Pic: Ken Keenan Photography

A tough game and disappointing result for Neale Fenn and his team but there were some positives to take. The likes of Tumelo Tlou and Eoin O’Neill coming on showed the progress of Longford’s youth system. Young players like Aodh Dervin and Karl Chambers, both of whom worked their socks off, will gain valuable experience from playing opposition of such a high level. The main aim of this season was promotion and Longford are very much still in with a chance of doing that and that was always going to be in the back of the mind of the players and managment alike. The big game is against Drogheda at United Park next week.

TEAM LINE-UPS

Longford Town: Michael Kelly, Shane Elworthy, Michael McDonnell, Tristan Noack-Hofmann, Karl Chambers, Peter Hopkins, Dean Zambra (c), Aodh Dervin, Darren Meenan, Dylan McGlade, Jamie Doyle.

Subs: Ben Kelly, Tumelo Tlou (replaced Peter Hopkins), Eoin O’Neill, (replaced Dylan McGlade), Dean Dillon (replaced Jamie Doyle), Jackson Ryan, Evan O’Connor

Cork City: Peter Cherrie, Aaron Barry, Alan Bennett, Shane Griffin, Steven Beattie, Garry Buckley, Jimmy Keohane, Gearoid Morrissey, Kieran Sadlier, Ronan Coughlan, Karl Sheppard.

Subs: Graham Cummins, Shane Daly-Butz (replaced Karl Sheppard)., Conor McCormack, Sean McLoughlin, Barry McNamee (replaced Alan Bennett), Mark McNulty, Josh O’Hanlon (replaced Gerard Morrissey).

Attendance: 1,181

MATCH REPORT: Galway United 1-4 Longford Town

Sat Aug 18th 2018

MATCH REPORT BY TONY GHEE

Two goals each from Jamie Doyle and Dylan McGlade helped Longford Town to inflict the heaviest defeat of the season on Galway Utd as they romped to a four goals to one victory over the Tribesman at Eamon Deacy Park.

This crucial victory ends the Westerners play-off hopes, but keeps the ‘Red & Black’ firmly in the promotion hunt just two points behind fourth placed Drogheda.

Longford were missing two quality players from last week’s squad that dumped Premier Division Sligo Rovers out of the FAI Cup as both Sam Verdon and Shane Elworthy failed to recover from last week’s respective injuries. The Town also suffered another injury towards the end of the contest as Jamie Hollywood was stretchered off.

The Midlanders played the better football in the opening half and created the better chances and fully merited their one goal interval advantage.

In the twelfth minute, Dylan McGlade cut in from the left and fired a twenty-two yard shot that Galway keeper Tadhg Ryan tipped over the bar and on fourteen minutes, a Karl Chambers long range effort flew over the Galway Bar.

The Town took a deserved lead on the quarter-hour mark with a superbly worked goal. Jamie Doyle knocked the ball into the path of McGlade who switched the play to Darren Meenan on the right wing, and his pin-point cross found the inrushing Doyle who buried the ball into the back of the Galway net from close range.

Galway’s only decent first-half effort came in the twenty-ninth minute when Ryan Connolly’s quickly taken free-kick caught out the Town rearguard but a lunging shot from Stephen Walsh went just wide.

The visitors should have increased their advantage just before half-time when an unmarked Doyle headed badly wide from a Meenan right-wing cross.

Longford doubled their lead just six minutes into the second-half. A clever back-heeled flick from Meenan on the right picked out Jamie Hollywood in space, and he passed to Doyle who rifled home a powerful shot to the net off Galway keeper Ryan.

Longford sealed all three points just four minutes later as McGlade raced in from the left after receiving a great pass from Doyle and somehow he powered a shot to the bottom right corner of the Galway net from a very tight angle.

The irresistible McGlade almost made it four on sixty-nine minutes but his shot that seemed destined for the top corner was magnificently saved by Ryan.

Ryan again produced a stunning save just two minutes later as he kept out Daniel O’Reilly’s close range header.

The Town completed the rout when McGlade scored his second on seventy-eight minutes with a low, crisp drive that flew past Ryan and nestled in the bottom left corner.

Galway grabbed an injury time consolation with the last attack of the match as substitute Carlton Ubaezuono scored from a tight angle on the left.


TEAM LINE-UPS

Galway Utd: Ryan, Horgan, Williams, Walsh, Ludden, Barry, Conway, Byrne, Russell, Connolly, McCormack.
Substitutions: Melody for Conway (half-time), Ubaezuono for Russell (64 minutes), Coyne for McCormack (84 minutes).

Longford Town: Kelly, Chambers, McDonnell, O’Reilly, Noack-Hofmann, Zambra, Dervin, Hollywood, Meenan, Doyle, McGlade.
Substitutions: O’Connor for Chambers, Dillon for Doyle (both 76 minutes), Ryan for Dervin (81 minutes).

MATCH PREVIEW: Galway United v Longford Town

Thu Aug 16th 2018

MATCH PREVIEW BY ANDREW DEMPSEY

Longford Town know that is certainly win or bust when they make the trip west to face playoff chasing Galway United at Éamonn Deacy Park on Friday evening. Kick-Off is at 7.45pm at the Dyke Road venue.

After picking up a morale boosting back-to-back wins against near neighbours Athlone Town and Sligo Rovers, Neale Fenn’s Red and Black Army have found a little bit of momentum since the defeat at Tolka Park with four goals and two clean sheets.

Knowing full well that a win can all but end Galway’s promotion hopes, De Town can really catapult themselves back into contention with a big win at Éamonn Deacy Park. Currently in 5th, just four points off Drogheda United and Shelbourne, a win could see Longford just go one point behind one of those playoff chasing sides.

The current First Division table before our game v Galway United (Screenshot: RTE.ie)

Last time we met Galway United in a league game, Neale Fenn masterminded an epic three-two success over the then Shane Keegan managed Tribesmen with ten-men at the City Calling Stadium after Darren Meenan’s dismissal.

Local star Aodh Dervin set the Red and Black of the Midlands on their way with a superb strike from distance as Sam Verdon and Karl Chambers sealed the three points despite being a man down.

Aodh Dervin, celebrating his goal against Town’s last home match v Galway at City Calling Stadium.

Former Town defender Stephen Walsh scored a late consolation goal for Galway, but it was to no avail as we held firm to secure a valuable three points on a fantastic weekend for the club which also saw a 4-2 win away to Finn Harps in Ballybofey.

During our last visit to Galway, the Tribesmen came away from the game with a slightly fortuitous point as Longford were unable to find the back of Tadgh Ryan’s net on frustrating night in the West while Aodh Dervin announced his arrival on the scene with a typically brilliant display in the middle of the park.

Action from Town’s previous match v Galway, a 3-2 win for De Town.

Currently, Galway have three former Town players on their books as Ryan Connolly, Stephen Walsh and Sean Russell have all enjoyed prior stints at the City Calling Stadium.

Connolly played under Tony Cousins way back in 2013 while Sean Russell, son of former Bray manager Martin Russell, played for De Town in 2014 as Walsh had a brief stint in the Red and Black during the 2017 season.

On the other hand, no current Longford Town player has played for Galway in a competitive outing. Our most recent ex Galway players were Enda Curran and Stephen Walsh who both lined out for the club in 2017.

In terms of team news for Friday night’s game, Jamie Doyle returns to the fold following suspension while Dean Byrne must sit out the game with a long-term injury. Also, Sam Verdon won’t feature after his injury in Sligo last week.

Barring any late change to the official’s overseeing the game, David Keeler will be the man in the middle while he will be assisted by Eoin Harte and Ricky Crean. Jason Mannix has been handed the role of the 4th official.

Like Us On Facebook

Longford Town Football Club

@LongfordTownFC Tweets


© 2020 LONGFORD TOWN FC | All rights reserved.