Dundalk in command as Longford Town crash to another defeat

The 19-year-old son of former Longford Town manager Stephen Kenny provided the platform for a commanding Dundalk display at Oriel Park on the Bank Holiday Monday.

Dundalk . . . 4    Longford Town . . . 1

From the moment rising young star Eoin Kenny found the back of the net from a sweetly struck volley to put the table toppers ahead in the 15th minute the writing was on the wall for the midlanders who crashed to another defeat in the First Division. 

In the wake of the 3-1 setback against second placed Cobh Ramblers at St Colman’s Park a few days earlier, this was another reality check for Longford who have slipped back down to second from bottom in the table.

Having said that, the Town are still a comfortable 8 points clear of the basement boys Athlone and the boss Wayne Groves will be hoping for a change of fortune against Treaty United at Bishopsgate on Saturday night next, kick-off 7.30pm. 

Former Longford striker Dean Ebbe scored twice for Dundalk to leave his side in control before Oisin Hand hit the target for the visitors from a header in the 79th minute.

Declan McDaid snatched a late goal for the Louth club featuring former Longford star Aodh Dervin. 

The game’s first real moment of quality came inside five minutes. Dervin got away from Mohammed Boudiaf on the edge of the Longford area and unleashed a thunderous strike that cannoned off the inside of the post, leaving goalkeeper Harry Halwax helpless.

It wasn’t long before Dundalk capitalised. Daryl Horgan slipped in Rohan Vaughan, whose low effort was kept out by the feet of Halwax. From the resulting rebound, Dervin delicately lofted a pass into the path of Kenny, who controlled deftly before rifling an unstoppable volley into the roof of the net.

Dundalk’s attacking threat was relentless. Horgan again tested Halwax, while at the other end, a rare lapse from Mayowa Animasahun offered Francis Campbell a glimpse of goal, though his tame strike posed little danger to veteran goalkeeper Peter Cherrie—a surprise inclusion ahead of Enda Minogue on the day.

Cherrie was later called upon to keep out another Campbell effort, reacting sharply with his feet after Dean George had robbed Keith Ward to create the opportunity.

Dundalk’s second goal arrived just after the half-hour mark, the electric Kenny bursting forward on a solo run from deep before laying it on a plate for Ebbe to tap home—his first goal since May.

Longford nearly responded before the break, with Hand rising highest to meet a Boudiaf free-kick, but Cherrie read the danger and saved with ease.

The hosts resumed with the same intensity in the second half. Kenny continued to torment the Longford defence, narrowly missing the target after a powerful run.

Ward’s delivery from a set-piece then led to a chaotic moment, with efforts from JR Wilson and Vinnie Leonard both rattling the crossbar in quick succession.

Their persistence was rewarded on the hour mark. Ward’s corner was flicked on by Leonard and finished clinically by Ebbe for his second goal. 

Halwax then denied Vaughan a fourth after being played in beautifully by Kenny.

McDaid, lively off the bench, beat Boudiaf down the left and squared for Harry Groome, who somehow missed from close range.

Minutes later, Longford clawed one back through Hand’s header from a Daniel Norris corner.

The visitors threatened briefly—Boudiaf struck the post and Norris attempted an audacious lob over Cherrie—but Dundalk’s grip on the match never truly wavered.

The result was sealed five minutes from time when Kenny whipped in a cross from the right, met at the back post by McDaid, who made no mistake in notching his first goal for the club.

Cherrie preserved the three-goal margin in stoppage time, diving low to deny Stefan Ugbesia as Dundalk closed out another professional display—one that further cements their position at the top and keeps their promotion charge firmly on course.

Dundalk FC: Peter Cherrie; JR Wilson, Mayowa Animasahun (Conor O’Keeffe 74), Vinnie Leonard, Shane Tracey; Aodh Dervin, Keith Ward (Harry Groome 74); Eoin Kenny, Dean Ebbe (Declan McDaid 62), Daryl Horgan (Andy Paraschiv 62); Rohan Vaughan (Gbemi Arubi 81). 

Longford Town: Harry Halwax; Osaze Irhue (Emre Topcu 36), Oisin Hand, Eric Yoro (Andrew Spain 6), Dean O’Shea; Pharrell Manuel (Kyle Robinson 66), Sean Moore; Dean George (Daragh Murtagh 66), Mohamed Boudiaf, Daniel Norris; Francis Campbell (Stefan Ugbesia 66). 

Referee: Darragh White (Dublin). 

Attendance: 1,328