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LEINSTER SENIOR CUP PREVIEW: UCD vs Longford Town

Mon Apr 30th 2018

Match Preview by Andrew Dempsey

Longford Town will, at long last, get their 2018 Leinster Senior Cup campaign up and running with a second trip to the capital within as many weeks as Neale Fenn’s Red and Black Army descend on the capital in the 4^th round of the provincial competition to face Collie O’Neill’s First Division table toppers UCD at the UCD Bowl on Tuesday evening. (Kick-Off is at 7.45pm)

Town come into this game on the back of a heart-breaking two-one home defeat to promotion rivals Finn Harps at the City Calling Stadium on Saturday evening despite having much of the play at the Strokestown Road venue as Sam Todd popped up with a cruel blow right at the death.

However, Neale Fenn will take plenty of positives from the game as he knows that his squad are more than capable of holding their own against the division’s elite while playing an entertaining brand of open and attacking football.

On our last trip up to the capital, it was a night to remember for “De Town” as Neale Fenn and his players masterminded a fantastic one-nil victory at Tallaght Stadium as the captain on the night, Daniel O’Reilly scored the all-important winner at the Tallaght venue, which secured our first ever victory at Tallaght Stadium against Shamrock Rovers senior side.

UCD on the other hand have had enjoyed a fantastic start to their First Division campaign this season as the “Students” lie top of the pile after nine games, with some impressive wins over Shelbourne and Cabinteely aiding their cause along the way.

Last time the two sides met, it was Collie O’Neill’s clinical charges that came out on top as Georgie Kelly popped up with a brace as the in-form Donegal man brought the points back to Belfield.

In both of the sides last venture into the Leinster Senior Cup, Longford Town exited at the first hurdle against Firhouse Clover at Tallaght IT while UCD departed the competition in devastatingly cruel fashion in the semi-final against Dundalk via a penalty shootout.

Town, while never winning the competition previously did reach the final back in 2014 as we fell to a 2-1 defeat against Premier Division side St Patrick’s Athletic at the City Calling Stadium as current Town star, Sam Verdon helped Liam Buckley’s charges on their way to the title.

On the injury front, Shane O’Connor and Alan Kehoe remain side-lined with injuries sustained earlier on this season while Shane Elworthy and Peter Hopkins are also likely to miss out with injury problems. Local star Aodh Dervin is a doubt for the game having come off injured on Saturday night against Finn Harps while Cian Byrne is also likely to miss out.

Action shot from our previous league meeting with league leaders, UCD

MATCH REPORT: Longford Town 0-2 UCD

Sun Apr 22nd 2018

Match Report by Tony Ghee

Longford Town’s unbeaten home record came to an end last night as league leaders UCD departed the City Calling Stadium with all three points after a comfortable 2-0 victory over the hosts.

It was a very disappointing display by Longford Town that produced only one shot on target and the lifeless performance was in complete contrast to the sparkling football that the team have played the rest of the season. It was UCD that played the better football and created virtually all the chances in the contest and the visitors richly deserved the victory.

UCD should have led at half-time but a combination of brilliant goalkeeping from Mick Kelly and some poor finishing by the students resulted in a goalless first half.

In the fifth minute, UCD striker Georgie Kelly beat the Town offside trap and raced into the Longford box from the left, however, his shot from a tight angle was well saved by Town keeper Mick Kelly.

On nineteen minutes, the towering Georgie Kelly headed over an O’Neill free-kick and then on thirty-four minutes, the big UCD striker was denied again as his twenty-five yard piledriver was brilliantly saved by Town stopper Mick Kelly.

Jason McClelland should have found the Longford net on thirty-nine minutes but his shot on the turn from just twelve yards out went wide.

Three minutes before the interval, a slick UCD move carved open the Town rearguard. A quick exchange of passes between Coffey and Georgie Kelly put in Daire O’Connor clean through on goal with just Town keeper Mick Kelly to beat, but the Collingwood Cup Player Of The Season failed to hit the target as Kelly produced a magnificent save.

UCD deservedly took the lead just after the hour mark when man-of-the-match Georgie Kelly won possession and slotted home from close range after a clever one-two with O’Neill.

The Town goal survived another scare four minutes later when a Kelly shot on the turn, on the edge of the Town box, sailed narrowly over the Town bar.

Longford’s only shot on target eventually arrived in the sixty-ninth minute when striker Dean Byrne skipped by his marker only to direct his curling effort straight at UCD keeper Kearns.

UCD wrapped up victory on seventy-seven minutes with Georgie Kelly’s second goal of the contest.
A quick break by the visitors resulted in McClelland rampaging down the left, he cut inside along the end-line and cleverly played a low ball into the path of the unmarked Kelly, and he rifled a scorching nine-yard shot to the roof of the Longford net.

Substitute Paul Doyle almost made it three for the visitors on eighty-one minutes, but his rising fifteen yard strike was superbly tipped over by Town keeper Mick Kelly.

Next up for Longford is another home game next Saturday night when Finn Harps come to the City Calling Stadium with the game kicking-off at the usual 7-30pm time.

LINE-UPS

Longford Town: Kelly, O’Connor, McDonnell, O’Reilly, Noack-Hofmann, Chambers, Dervin, Zambra, Galvin, Byrne, Mulhall.
Substitutes: McGlade for O’Connor (65 minutes), Meenan for Galvin (78 minutes), Verdon for Zambra (78 minutes).

UCD: Kearns,Tobin, Kouogun, Collins, Scales, Coffey, O’Neill, Sloggett, McClelland, O’Connor, Kelly.
Substitutes: Doyle for O’Connor (78 minutes), Mahdy for Coffey (82 minutes), Hanrahan for Kelly (89 minutes).

Match pictures by Tiernan Dolan

Pictures from last night’s 2-0 loss to UCD at City Calling Stadium

Sun Apr 22nd 2018

Pictures by Tiernan Dolan

Longford Town v UCD Match Preview

Thu Apr 19th 2018

Preview by Tony Ghee

After the disappointment of conceding a last gasp equaliser away to Drogheda United last weekend, to come away from United Park with just a point when all three points seemed to have been in the bag, Longford Town host new league leaders UCD at the City Calling Stadium this Saturday night with the big game getting underway at 7-30pm.

Longford Town are unbeaten at home this season with three wins and a draw from their four home league contests to date. The Town drew 2-2 with Cobh in their opening home game, but since then they have beaten both Wexford FC and Cabinteely FC 3-0, and they also emphatically accounted for Athlone Town winning the Midlands Derby 5-1.

On the road, UCD have won two of their three games, winning 3-1 at Athlone and 2-0 in Cobh before suffering that 2-0 reverse away to Drogheda.

UCD bounced back from their 2-0 loss to Drogheda with an entertaining 3-2 win at home to Finn Harps last weekend courtesy of a Georgie Kelly hat-trick which sent them to the top of the table.

Last season, College held the upper hand against the Town as they remained unbeaten in their four league encounters with two wins and two draws against the City Calling Stadium side.

UCD have plenty of quality in their ranks with Max Kouogun in defence, Greg Sloggett and Gary O’Neill in midfield, and strikers Georgie Kelly (last season’s First Division top scorer), Daire O’Connor and Jason McClelland, all top class players. A lot of the UCD team contain players who tasted Third level success this year as they won the prestigious Collingwood Cup with a late,late winner from Daire O’Connor to beat Queen’s University 2-1 in the final, despite playing the entire second-half with just ten players after Georgie Kelly’s dismissal.

The Town will be making at least two changes from the team that drew last week away to Drogheda, as both Shane Elworthy (ankle) and Peter Hopkins who had to be substituted are out through injury. Shane O’Connor and Alan Kehoe are also out through injury. However, towering centre-half, Mick McDonnell and Darren Meenan are both available again after missing out last weekend.

Darren Meenan, available again for selection.

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