Still stuck in bottom spot as Longford Town have to settle for a draw against Kerry FC

Longford Town . . . 2   Kerry FC . . . 2 

The bottom two clubs in the SSE Airtricity First Division fought out a draw at Bishopsgate on Saturday night.

Ryan Kelliher got a brace for Kerry and goals from Francis Campbell and Mo Boudiaf for Longford Town secured a point apiece, a result that keeps the Kingdom side four points ahead of the midlanders in the First Division league table.

This result ended a run of five consecutive defeats for Longford which included the heavy FAI Cup loss to Galway, while for the Munster men it was their third draw in their last six league games, losing the other three.

Kerry came into this contest in buoyant form after only losing their recent FAI Cup match against Premier Division side Bohemians after a penalty shoot-out. 

It was a reasonably entertaining first half and both sides had chances to add to their one goal each.

The Town should have opened the scoring in the first minute when a brilliant Boudiaf cross from the right picked out the unmarked striker Campbell just ten yards out from goal at the back post, but somehow he fired wide.

Kerry did not miss their first opportunity in the 12th minute. Cian Brosnan swung in a corner from the right and the towering Kos headed home despite the best efforts of Town midfielder Emre Topcu on the goal-line as the visitors took the lead. 

Town winger Daniel Norris shot over the Kerry bar from sixteen yards out on the left on 19 minutes but the home side did find the equaliser in the 22nd minute.

Boudiaf charged into the Kerry box from the right and unleashed a shot that came back off the near post but striker Campbell was on hand to tap home the rebound from close range to level matters. 

The Munster side had the ball in the Town net again just a minute later but the goal was bizarrely disallowed. Kerry keeper Aaron O’Sullivan’s long ball forward caused consternation in the Longford defence.

Town central defenders Jamie Egan and Eric Yoro thought that keeper Harry Halwax was coming out to clear the ball but he seemed to change his mind, and in nipped Kerry striker Ryan Kelliher to take possession of the ball and he shot to the net.

However, Kelliher was well onside and he was not guilty of a foul, so the goal being disallowed was a lucky let off for the Town.

The home side had the next chance on 34 minutes when a Campbell shot from the edge of the Kerry box was spilled by keeper O’Sullivan, but he gathered the ball at the second attempt.

The visitors had the final two chances of the first half. On 44  minutes, Sean McGrath raced down the right and he pulled the ball back to Cian Brosnan who shot narrowly wide from sixteen yards out.

Then in additional time, Kerry hit the Town crossbar with a Cian Brosnan shot. 

The early stages of the second half saw Longford create two chances. In the 51st  minute a Campbell shot from a Karl Chambers cross went just over the bar, and seven minutes after that, a Dean O’Shea left-wing cross was headed over by Campbell.

The game livened up and Longford took the lead in the 72nd minute. A good move resulted in the ball being switched out to Elworthy and his cross was brilliantly volleyed to the back of the net by Boudiaf from fourteen yards out.

The lead did not last long however, as Kerry were level just four minutes later after a superb run into the Town box from the right from substitute Olwuy Okwute resulted in his low ball across the goal being turned in by the sliding striker Kelliher for his second goal. 

LONGFORD TOWN (4-4-1-1): Halwax, Elworthy, Egan, Yoro, O’Shea, Chambers, Fay, Topcu, Norris, Boudiaf, Campbell.

Subs:- Adeyemo for Campbell, O’Connor for Chambers, Serdeniuk for Fay (all in the 76th minute). 

KERRY FC (4-2-3-1): O’Sullivan, Finn Barrett, Spain, Kos, O’Connell, Cian Barrett, Crowe, Brosnan, McGrath, Gleeson, Kelliher.

Subs:- Okwute for Gleeson and Teahan for Crowe (both 54 mins); Dolia for Brosnan (65 mins); Aladesanusi for Spain (78 mins).

Referee: Alan Franklin.