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MATCH PREVIEW: Sligo Rovers v Longford Town (FAI Cup First Round)

Sat Aug 11th 2018

Match Preview by James Donnelly

Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup First Round
Sligo Rovers FC v Longford Town FC

Saturday 11th August 2018

The Showgrounds • 7.45PM

Sligo Rovers and Longford Town FC face off tonight in the first round of the FAI Cup. In a repeat of last years first round clash, Gerard Lyttle’s side will be hoping to gain revenge after they were sent crashing out of the tournament after extra time at the City Calling Stadium last time out.

Longford won 4-2 after extra time thanks to goals from Karl Chambers, Sam Verdon, Kealan Dillon and Peter Hopkins. Dillon has since moved on to pastures new but Chambers, Verdon and Hopkins are all available for selection.

Looking at both clubs current form, Sligo come into tonight’s game off the back of a 1-0 loss at home to Derry in the EA Sports Cup Semi-Final. Only a few days previously, they had made the trip up to the Brandywell for a league fixture and left with all 3 points. Sitting third from bottom in the Premier Division, the West Coast side have had struggled at times. Much like ourselves in the league, they have shown they can be a good footballing side at times but they have also shown they are vulnerable in areas. With that being said, Sligo boss Gerard Lyttle knows that they can’t underestimate Longford. Speaking to Sligo Rovers official website, he commented: “Longford turned us over last year and we know they are a good side. Neale has them playing a good brand of football, out from the back, and they’re up there challenging for the play-off spots. We know the dangers and I don’t think complacency will be an issue for us. I do feel we’re stronger this year and that’s no disrespect to any players here before. However, it’s up to us to go out and put the performance in. I think if we keep playing like we have been that we can win games and that’s the job for the lads on Saturday.”

Sam Verdon celebrates scoring his goal along with Karl Chambers during last year’s Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup First Round win over Sligo Rovers at the City Calling Stadium last year.

Sligo Rovers and Longford Town FC face off tonight in the first round of the FAI Cup. In a repeat of last years first round clash, Gerard Lyttle’s side will be hoping to gain revenge after they were sent crashing out of the tournament after extra time at the City Calling Stadium last time out.

Longford won 4-2 after extra time thanks to goals from Karl Chambers, Sam Verdon, Kealan Dillon and Peter Hopkins. Dillon has since moved on to pastures new but Chambers, Verdon and Hopkins are all available for selection.

Looking at both clubs current form, Sligo come into tonight’s game off the back of a 1-0 loss at home to Derry in the EA Sports Cup Semi-Final. Only a few days previously, they had made the trip up to the Brandywell for a league fixture and left with all 3 points. Sitting third from bottom in the Premier Division, the West Coast side have had struggled at times. Much like ourselves in the league, they have shown they can be a good footballing side at times but they have also shown they are vulnerable in areas. With that being said, Sligo boss Gerard Lyttle knows that they can’t underestimate Longford. Speaking to Sligo Rovers official website, he commented: “Longford turned us over last year and we know they are a good side. Neale has them playing a good brand of football, out from the back, and they’re up there challenging for the play-off spots. We know the dangers and I don’t think complacency will be an issue for us. I do feel we’re stronger this year and that’s no disrespect to any players here before. However, it’s up to us to go out and put the performance in. I think if we keep playing like we have been that we can win games and that’s the job for the lads on Saturday.”

Longford Town come into tonight’s game off the back of a comfortable 2-0 win over Athlone Town at the City Calling Stadium last week. While that game went off without a hitch, De Town’s last few weeks have been anything but easy. Losing 4 out of 6 in the month of July, Neale Fenn’s side have struggled to find consistent form in the second half of the season. While we are still very much in the mix for a promotion playoff spot, Longford will need to find the form they showed in beating league leaders UCD 5-1 earlier in the season. Speaking briefly to LTFC.ie, Neale Fenn said he feels Longford can win the game and won’t fear Sligo. Having beaten the home side last year and it being the cup, anything can happen.

In terms of team news for Longford, Jamie Doyle is suspended for the game while Dean Byrne is still on the injury list.

For Sligo, Gary Boylan is the only loss as he is still recovering from a long-term cruciate ligament injury.

Kick off at the Showgrounds tonight is 7.45pm.

Safe travels to all Longford supporters making the trip to Sligo.

#CmonDeTown!

MATCH PREVIEW: Shelbourne v Longford Town

Thu Jul 26th 2018

Match Preview by Tony Ghee

Longford Town travel to Tolka Park this Friday night for a vital promotion clash against Shelbourne as both sides look to cement their play-off credentials with just six league matches remaining. Just one point separates fourth placed Shelbourne on 36 points from fifth placed Longford on 35 points with sixth placed Galway Utd on 32 points, so the pressure is on both teams in this Tolka Park clash to secure a victory to enhance their promotion play-off ambitions.

Longford Town have a tough run in to the season’s end with matches away to Galway, away to Drogheda and home to UCD to come, so defeat for Neale Fenn’s charges would be a serious set-back to say the least.

While Longford Town have beaten all of their other top six rivals this season, they have only taken a point in their two league meetings against Shels.In a rip-roaring encounter at Tolka Park, a hat-trick from Longford Town’s record goal scorer, David O’Sullivan, for his new club Shelbourne, secured a vital 3-2 victory for the Dubliners with O’Sullivan converting a last gasp penalty to earn all three crucial points.

Longford Town finished that contest with just nine players after McGlade was dismissed in the 81st minute, and Verdon who scored both the Town goals, was also red carded just before O’Sullivan converted the match winning penalty.

 

In the second league meeting at the City Calling Stadium, the sides finished level after a one-all draw. O’Sullivan again scored against his former club to put Shels ahead with a 49th minute header, but McGlade equalised for the Town on the hour mark after intercepting a stray pass from James English.

Last weekend, Longford Town defeated Wexford FC 3-0 with all the goals coming in the second-half  courtesy of a brace from McGlade and a goal from Noack-Hofmann who diverted a Danny O’Reilly shot to the net. Shels earned a good point in Ballybofey with a scoreless draw away to Finn Harps.

On the team news front, Alan Byrne is suspended for Shelbourne while Longford Town will be without the injured Mulhall, Hopkins, and Dean Byrne.

The big match at Tolka Park kicks-off at 7.45pm and as usual there will be regular updates on the club Twitter account. (@LongfordTownFC)



Match Preview: UCD v Longford Town

Thu Jun 28th 2018

Match Preview by Tony Ghee

Longford Town will continue their promotion push when they resume league action away to league leaders UCD at the Bowl on Friday night with the game getting underway at 7.45pm.

UCD are seven points clear of second placed Drogheda and third placed Shelbourne while nine points is the gap to Longford Town in fourth, so a victory for Neale Fenn’s charges is a necessity if title ambitions are to remain realistic.

College are unbeaten at home all season with their three league defeats all on their travels as they lost away to Drogheda, Galway, and Cabinteely. At the Bowl, UCD have won seven of their eight league games with only Galway Utd escaping with a point after a one all draw.

Longford Town have lost just one of their last seven outings when losing 1-0 away to Cabinteely, however, three successive victories over top six rivals, Galway Utd, Finn Harps, and the crucial 1-0 home victory over Drogheda before the break have given the Town a massive boost ahead of this titanic clash.

UCD are the only team to outplay Longford this season as they gave the Midlanders a footballing lesson in their two-nil victory at the City Calling Stadium earlier in the season and are the best side the Town have played.

A brace of goals from star striker Georgie Kelly secured the victory for UCD against Longford that night with his opening goal around the hour mark resulting from a clever one-two with O’Neill, and his second on seventy-seven minutes was a close range strike that was set-up by a rampaging McClelland run down the left-wing.

Action from our last encounter v UCD at City Calling Stadium

Indeed, UCD should have won by more as they missed a plethora of chances due to a combination of poor finishing and superb goalkeeping from Mick Kelly, while the Town only produced one shot on target in the entire match.

Form between the two teams would suggest that a draw would be the most likely outcome. Georgie Kelly, Greg Sloggett, Jason McClelland and Collingwood Cup player of the season Daire O’Connor will be formidable opponents, however, Longford have plenty of quality in their ranks as Aodh Dervin, Dylan McGlade, Sam Verdon, Shane Elworthy and Karl Chambers should all pose a significant threat to UCD.

Longford Town will be missing five players on Friday night as Peter Hopkins, Alan Kehoe, Dean Byrne, Cian Byrne, and Daniel Ridge are all out injured. In transfer news, Shane O’Connor and Evan Galvin have both departed the club.



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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