Daragh Murtagh hits hat-trick as Longford Town overcome Castlebar Celtic

A first half hat-trick from Daragh Murtagh and three second half goals without reply, including a brace from substitute Dean George, clinched victory for Longford Town away to non-league Castlebar Celtic in the FAI Cup second round tie played on Sunday evening last. 

Castlebar Celtic . . . 3     Longford Town . . . 6

The fact that the Mayo side are managed by former Longford Town legend Stevie Gavin who won promotion with the midlanders, and who also played in the 2001 FAI Cup Final defeat to Bohemians during the Stephen Kenny era, added an extra bit of magic and excitement to this cup tie.
The Mayo Super League Champions and Connacht Junior Cup Champions went in at the interval all square with both sides sharing six goals and although Castlebar were confident of a cup upset, a very dominant second half performance from the Town inspired by substitutes Dean George and Emmanuel James Oluwafemi sealed the passage to the last 16.
In the second minute, a good ball from the left from Dylan Edwards for the home side created a chance for Eoghan Hughes, but he blazed his shot over from the edge of the Longford box.
However, the Castlebar men hit the front just two minutes later. Edwards floated a corner from the right towards the back post and the ball was pulled back by Johnni Cocozza to Mark Cunningham and the full-back smashed the ball on the swivel to the roof of the Longford net.
Longford came close to equalising on ten minutes when a Dean O’Shea throw-in was only half cleared by the Celtic keeper Stefan Hester and Town midfielder Aaron Doran hit a volley that was just over the bar from the edge of the Castlebar box.
A minute later, the visitors were level. Eric Yoro’s pass found striker Daragh Murtagh down the right, the Celtic keeper Hester raced off his line to try and intervene, but Murtagh kept his cool to round Hester before he exquisitely chipped the ball from twenty yards out over two retreating defenders into the net.
Castlebar regained the lead on sixteen minutes when a low diagonal ball from the left put in Hughes, he outpaced Town defender O’Shea, and although he hit a tame shot, it somehow went past Longford Town’s debut keeper Kian Moore.
Back came Longford to level the contest just two minutes later. A cross from the right from Stefan Ugbesia was flapped at by the Celtic keeper Hester and his misguided clearance fell at the feet of Murtagh who fired in his second goal of the match from ten yards out.
The League of Ireland side then took the lead on twenty-two minutes. Doran dispossessed Edwards twenty-five yards out from goal and he quickly passed to Murtagh on the edge of the box, he evaded a Castlebar challenge and brilliantly curled his shot beyond Hester’s despairing dive to complete his hat-trick and to put the Town 3-2 ahead.
The home side almost equalised on thirty-five minutes when Cunningham took the ball off O’Shea and found Fionn Mahon but his shot was saved by Town netminder Moore.
Longford should have gone two clear on thirty-seven minutes when a brilliant run and cross from the left from Danny Norris picked out Emre Topcu no more than eight yards out but he fired over the bar.
Castlebar equalised on thirty-eight minutes when a low diagonal ball from striker Jordan Loftus looked to be going to safety but Town defender Osaze Irhue brought down Hughes and Loftus despatched the penalty to the Longford net.
Celtic keeper Hester then produced a fine double save just before half-time with saves from Topcu after he was set-up by Murtagh, and then the rebound strike from Ugbesia.

The second half was dominated by the visitors and just after the interval, a glancing header from Dylan Hand from a Norris cross flashed just inches wide of Castlebar’s far post and then on fifty-three minutes, Longford had four chances to convert in the space of a minute.
A Murtagh close-range shot from a Norris cross was saved by Hester and from the resulting Norris corner, the Town had two shots cleared off the line in quick succession with Cunningham making the first goal-line clearance before Ugbesia’s shot was then cleared off the line by Edwards, and the next follow up shot from Pharrell Manuel was tipped over the bar by Hester.
Longford Town finally got the breathing space their second half display deserved with three unanswered goals in the final twenty minutes of the contest. Substitute Oluwafemi brilliantly set-up fellow substitute Dean George who slotted home from close range on the right on seventy-five minutes.
Another George effort on the stretch on eighty-five minutes from a Manuel pass went narrowly wide, but the game was made safe for Longford Town three minutes later as they went 5-3 up. A Norris deflected free-kick was saved by Hester, and substitute Francis Campbell eventually found the net from close range.
Deep into stoppage time, George got his second of the match after a goalmouth scramble.
Oluwafemi superbly set-up Campbell and although his two efforts were saved by Hester, George was on hand to tap home to give Longford Town a comfortable win in the end in advancing to meet Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium in the next round.

CASTLEBAR CELTIC: Hester, Cunningham, O'Reilly, Walsh, Howley, Hughes, Mahon,Groarke, Cocozza, Edwards, Loftus.

Subs:- Coyne for Howley (55 minutes), Kelly for Cocozza (69 minutes), Murphy for O'Reilly (82 minutes), Ajenipa for Groarke (84 minutes).

LONGFORD TOWN: Kian Moore, Eric Yoro, Oisin Hand, Osaze Irhue, Dean O'Shea, Pharrell Manuel, Emre Topcu, Stefan Ugbesia, Aaron Doran, Daniel Norris, Daragh Murtagh.

Subs:- Dean George for Ugbesia, Francis Campbell for Doran, Emmanuel James Oluwafemi for Murtagh (all 69 minutes), Sean Moore for Topcu and Andy Spain for Yoro (both 90 plus 1 minute).

Referee: Damien MacGraith (Mayo).