Longford Town take on Kerry FC in bottom of the table clash at Bishopsgate

Longford Town face what could be described as the most important game of the 2024 season when they entertain Kerry FC at Bishopsgate on Saturday night, kick-off 7.30pm. 

 Kerry come to Longford with 21 points to their name after a very good start to the season which is eleven points better than their full take for the last season. 

It's a fact that on their debut season Kerry were the whipping boys as they tried to settle into senior football. Make no mistake about it Kerry are a different club this season and their performances are improving weekly. 

At the end of last season the then manager Billy Dennehy stood down and he was replaced by the youngest manager in the league Conor McCarthy who is only 26 years old. Their points tally to date would suggest that Conor is doing a great job and with nine games to play he will be hoping to move higher in the table. 

At this stage Kerry are eleven points behind Treaty United who currently occupy 8th position in the table. Manager McCarthy has strengthened his squad considerably from their debut season. 

Kerry, as a new club, are doing very well in their second season and they have a very strong first team squad at their disposal. 

Last season Kerry were a hard working youthful squad who did well on their debut season but they have strengthened their squad this season and in Ryan Kelliher they have undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the league and he has what you need from a striker which is a nose for goals.

The Town have played Kerry on three occasions this season and the big striker has scored in all three games. 

The first meeting between the clubs was in Mounthawk Park in early April and on that occasion the home side won comfortably on a 3-0 scoreline. 

Midfielder Sean McGrath opened the scoring on the half hour mark while Kelliher scored their second goal on the stroke of half time. 

The Town came into the game early in the second half but couldn't convert their dominance into goals and the home side got the third goal in the 82nd minute with a goal from Kennedy Amechi to give Kerry a resounding result. 

The second game was at Bishopsgate in early May and on that occasion the Town came out on top on a 2-1 scoreline. Francis Campbell gave the Town the lead in the 22nd minute and four minutes later Luke Wade-Slater scored goal number two. 

The Town were in control for most of the game but Ryan Kelliher gave the visitors hope with a goal in the 72nd minute leaving the Town having an uneasy final 18 minutes. 

The Town travelled to Mounthawk Park in Tralee in mid June and the home side won a very good game on a 2-1 scoreline. Ryan Kelliher was the hero, scoring the Kerry goals in the 27th and 83rd minutes. The Town goal came from Karl Chambers just on the stroke of half time and that kept the game on a knife edge for the final 10 minutes. 

The Town need to beat Kerry on Saturday night if they are to harbour any ambitions of moving off the bottom of the table. 

There is no doubt that results haven't been going very well for Longford for most of the season and they need to start picking up points in the table. 

We were idle last weekend due to the FAI Cup games being played and Kerry gave a great account of themselves against Premier Division side Bohemians who got the fright of their lives at Mounthawk Park. The game ended 2-2 at full-time and after extra time with Bohemians winning the penalty shoot out  4-2. That result means that there are four Premier and four First Division teams in the quarter-finals. 

Our near neighbours Athlone Town caused the shock of the round by beating Premier Division side Waterford on a 3-2 scoreline. 

The Town are on a very bad run at the moment having lost their last home game against Treaty Utd on a 4-1 scoreline at Bishopsgate while the previous week they lost 1-0 to Cobh Ramblers in Cobh. 

We need to stop giving away silly goals and try and get some stability in the team for the final nine games and hope to move off the bottom of the table. 

Support

This is the time when the club and the team needs your support as we are trying to get off the bottom of the table. Our supporters thankfully get behind the team at all home games despite our lowly league position. 

We have nine games left in this season including Saturday night's fixture and we ask our supporters to get behind the team for the final phase of the First Division league campaign. 

SSE Airtricity League First Division

Longford Town v Kerry FC

at Bishopsgate

Saturday August 24

Kick-off 7.30pm