Longford Town unlucky losers as Finn Harps snatch a late penalty winner

Longford Town . . . 0   Finn Harps . . . 1 

Longford were the better team in the first half creating more chances and having more possession, however, it was Harps who had the best opportunity  in just the second minute. A dangerous cross into the Town box from Ryan Rainey found Ryan Flood just ten-yards out from goal, but the Harps’ midfielder blazed the ball over the bar  when he should have scored.

The Town’s best chance came on eighteen minutes. Stephen Meaney waltzed his way past two defenders before spraying the ball across to Francis Campbell on the right-edge of the Town box but he fired over the Harps’ bar.

Three minutes into the second half, a twenty-five-yard deflected shot from Noa Baba produced a decent save from Longford keeper Brady. 

The Town came very close to rattling the visitors’ net on fifty-five minutes. It was good play from Joshua Giurgi on the left who brilliantly held onto possession, he cut back inside, and played a superb ball to Francis Campbell who passed to Aodh Dervin, and Dervin fired a twenty-five-yard shot that whistled narrowly wide of the post with Harps’ keeper Tim-Oliver Hiemer well beaten.

Finn Harps took the lead in the eighty-second minute when they were awarded a penalty. Two Harps’ substitutes combined to create the spot kick. Seamus Keogh played the ball into the Longford box and Town defender Kyle O’Connor found himself the wrong side of substitute Okwuy Okwute, they tussled and Okwute hit the deck, and although it seemed like minimal contact, referee Daniel Murphy pointed to the spot.

Up stepped Rainey to send Town keeper Brady the wrong way to put the Donegal side ahead. It was Rainey’s third goal of the season, all coming from the penalty spot.

Next up for the Town is a difficult match away to the league leaders Galway United this Friday night at Eamon Deacy Park.

Longford Town (4-1-4-1): Brady, O’Brien, Elworthy, Byrne, O’Connor, Serdeniuk, Campbell, Armstrong, Dervin, Giurgi, Meaney.

Subs:-  Ibrahim for Giurgi, & Boudiaf for Campbell (both 67 mins); Lynch for Meaney, & Fay for Armstrong (both 80 mins).      

Finn Harps (4-1-4-1): Hiemer, Porter, Cowan, McCallion, Farrar, Baba, Da Silva, Rainey, Flood, Harris, Lynch.

Subs:- Jordan for Cowan (injured, 20 mins); O’Donnell for Da Silva (62 mins); Okwute for Lynch, & Keogh for Harris (72 mins). 

Referee: Daniel Murphy.