Longford Town back at the bottom following the defeat away to Treaty United

Treaty United . . . 3    Longford Town . . . 1 

Longford Town are back at the bottom of the First Division table after losing to Treaty United at the Markets Field in Limerick on Friday night.

With Kerry FC drawing at home to Finn Harps, just goal difference is separating the strugglers with three fixtures remaining in the current league campaign.

Longford face Athlone in the midlands derby at Bishopsgate on Saturday night next (kick-off 7.30pm) and are at home again the following weekend against Cobh Ramblers before wrapping up a very disappointing season away against UCD on Friday 18 October. 

Lee Devitt, who netted a brace for Treaty in the win against Cobh on Monday night, came close in the 5th minute when he unleashed a rasping shot that clipped the top of the crossbar on its way over.

Three minutes later young Treaty keeper Michael Dike was called into action as Ukrainian midfielder Viktor Serdenyuk tested him from a distance but the teenager dealt with it easily.

In the 13th minute Treaty midfielder Colin Conroy went close as he got on the end of Niko Kozlowki in an inswinging free kick. Conroy found himself free at the back post but his header hit the side netting.

Five minutes later Croatian striker Trpimir Vrljicak flashed his effort wide from just yards out. Richkov Boevi knocked down a corner to the big striker but he drove his shot off target. 

The Shannonsiders boasted the bulk of possession and had several further chances through Boevi, Yoyo Mahdy, and Kozlowski. 

Eventually, in the 29th minute, Treaty took a deserved lead, coming spectacularly from a  Lee Devitt lob. 

Mahdy knocked the ball down to Devitt who scored out of nothing as he chipped Town keeper Harry Halwax from the corner of the box to net his third goal in two games and his seventh of the season.

Longford equalised right on the stroke of half-time. Treaty failed to deal with a long throw and Emre Topcu volleyed the ball goalward, burying his powerful low shot beyond Dike into the back of the net. 

The first chance of the second half fell to Devitt who tried another audacious chip in the 60th minute. Halwax misplaced a pass to the Treaty midfielder who attempted to lob the Longford keeper with a first-time effort but he dragged his effort narrowly wide.

The Limerick club were back in front in the 67th minute with Devitt instrumental to the move with his volley parried by Halwax. The rebound broke to youngster Adam O’Halloran who rifled the ball into the net for his first senior goal.

Longford came close to equalising in the 75th minute  as yet another long throw was not dealt with by the home defence. Adam Wixted volleyed the loose ball in nearly identical fashion to Longford’s first, beating Dike but not Oisín O’Reilly who flicked it off the line and out for a corner.

Eric Yoro had a glorious opportunity to level matters in the 85th minute, finding himself completely unmarked in the box but Dike got out quickly to close the angle as Yoro blasted his close-range effort well wide.

Deep into stoppage time, substitute David Tarmey sealed the win for Treaty. Longford were throwing players forward in search of an equaliser but found themselves exposed at the back as Vrljicak played through the composed Tarmey who made no mistake to score the third goal for the home side. 

TREATY UNITED: Michael Dike, Richkov Boevi, Alec Byrne (Steven Healy 22 mins), Colin Conroy, Lee Devitt (Sean Costelloe 90+3 mins), Christy Horgan, Niko Kozlowski (Adam O’Halloran 64 mins), Yoyo Mahdy (David Tarmey 64 mins), Evan O’Connor, Oisin O’Reilly, Trpimir Vrljicak.

LONGFORD TOWN: Harry Halwax, Eric Yoro, Jamie Egan, Kyle O’Connor, Dean O’Shea, Viktor Serdeniuk, Emre Topcu, Adam Wixted (Shane Elworthy 77 mins), Daniel Norris, Jordan Adeyemo, Karl Chambers (Emmanuel James 77 mins).

Referee: David Dunne.