Longford Town take shock lead but Dundalk eventually come out on top

Dundalk . . . 2   Longford Town . . . 1 

Longford Town came close to causing a major surprise against the red-hot title favourites Dundalk in the First Division clash watched by the official attendance of 2,030 at Oriel Park on Friday night last.
The home supporters were in a state of shock when Longford broke the deadlock with a great goal from Daragh Murtagh in the 18th minute but unbeaten Dundalk gradually got their act together to equalise from a penalty converted by Dean Ebbe in the 29th minute,
Wayne Groves saw his committed side battle it out under a lot of pressure for the remainder of the match and a draw was a possibility before Dundalk eventually got through to score the winner in the 78th minute.
19-year-old Eoin Kenny (son of the former Dundalk and Longford manager Stephen Kenny) found the back of the net to clinch all three points for the table toppers who are strongly fancied to make an immediate return to the Premier Division after suffering the shattering blow of relegation last season.
Dundalk carved out the game’s first opportunity in the ninth minute when Daryl Horgan latched onto a cross from right-back Aodh Dervin, which had been inadvertently helped on by Longford midfielder Eric Yoro, but his first-time volley sailed over the crossbar.
Sean McHale’s long-ball wasn’t convincingly dealt with by Harry Halwax, with Horgan reacting quickest to nip in ahead of the Longford goalkeeper before squaring for Kenny, who teed up Ebbe, but his goal-bound effort was crucially blocked out by Oisin Hand.
Longford struck against the run of play on 18 minutes, with Dean O’Shea’s long throw-in initially cleared by Dervin, but recycled by Aaron Doran back into the danger area, where striker Murtagh showed great awareness to slip between two defenders and hook home.
An undeterred Dundalk pressed for an immediate response, with Horgan’s quick throw finding Kenny, whose snapshot across the face of goal forced a sharp save from Halwax.
Ciaran Kilduff’s side did manage to draw level on 29 minutes from the penalty spot after Ebbe, played in by Leo Gaxha, was bundled over inside the box by Osaze Irhue.
Indeed, Ebbe stepped up to confidently send Halwax the wrong way, dispatching his spot-kick into the bottom right-hand corner for his fourth goal in as many matches.
Buoyed by that leveller, Dundalk sought to edge in front before the interval, with Kenny’s cross from the left finding Ebbe, but the striker’s header drifted narrowly over the bar.
Moments later, the Lilywhites were awarded a second penalty when Halwax, caught off guard by Kenny’s delivery, clattered into the menacing Ebbe inside the box.
This time, however, fortune favoured Longford, with Ebbe opting for the same corner as before, but was denied by Halwax, who also reacted sharply to block Gaxha’s follow-up.
The ball spilled back kindly to Ebbe, though, who slotted home, but celebrations were cut short as, after nearly a minute of deliberation, the referee ruled the goal out for offside.
Despite the frustration, Dundalk remained relentless, with Ebbe and Kenny fashioning further chances before the break, but Halwax produced two saves to deny both players.
Dundalk never looked like losing it in the second half, but a Harry Groome effort, which flew over the bar, was the best they could muster up until their 78th-minute winner.
The goal was created by substitute Andy Paraschiv, who held off Irhue before nutmegging the Longford defender to tee it up for young Kenny who hit the target to settle the issue.

DUNDALK FC: Peter Cherrie; Aodh Dervin, Harry Groome, Sean McHale, Sean Spaight (Luke Mulligan 76 mins); Keith Ward (Andy Paraschiv 62 mins), Shane Tracey; Leo Gaxha, Eoin Kenny, Daryl Horgan; Dean Ebbe (Gbemi Arubi 90 mins). 

LONGFORD TOWN: Harry Halwax; Osaze Irhue, Oisin Hand, Aaron Walsh (Jacob Flood-Norton 90 mins), Dean O’Shea; Pharrell Manuel (Stefan Ugbesia 74 mins), Eric Yoro; Josh Giurgi, Aaron Doran (Emmanuel James 85 mins), Dean George (Mohammed Boudiaf 74 mins); Darragh Murtagh (Francis Campbell 74 mins). 

Subs not used: Jack McCarthy (gk), Jamal Ibrahim, Ryan Boyle, Andrew Spain. 

Referee: Ryan Maher (Offaly).