Ten-man Longford Town score brilliant win against the league leaders Dundalk

Goals from Alex O’Brien, Aaron Doran and Dean George delivered a surprise victory for ten-man Longford Town over the league leaders Dundalk at Bishopsgate on Saturday night to close the gap on fifth placed Treaty United to eight points with just four fixtures remaining in the First Division this season. 

Longford Town . . . 3    Dundalk FC . . . 2 

Longford manager Wayne Groves made four changes to the team that started last week’s 2-1 defeat away to UCD with George, Murtagh, Irhue, and Egan all starting instead of Topcu, Norris, Oluwafemi and the unavailable Dean O’Shea while Dundalk were missing the suspended Dervin along with injured duo Horgan and O’Keeffe.

Longford Town took the lead on twenty-two minutes when Aaron Doran’s free-kick ping-ponged around the Dundalk penalty area and the ball eventually deflected off Duns defender Vincent Leoanard into the path of Alex O’Brien and the Town midfielder poked the ball into the back of the net.

The league leaders were back on level terms just five minutes later as Declan McDaid’s corner was eventually headed clear by Eric Yoro but the ball landed at the feet of Eoin Kenny and the Northern Ireland international who is the son of former Longford, Dundalk, and Republic of Ireland manager Stephen, blasted the ball to the Longford net from just inside the box.

The home side almost went back in front on forty-two minutes when Pharrell Manuel delivered a cross from the right that was missed by the advancing Dundalk keeper Cherrie, and the ball came to Dean George with his back to goal, but he produced a brilliant low shot on the turn that was cleared off the line by Dundalk midfielder Harry Groome.

Just before the half-time whistle, a header from Dundalk striker Gbemi Arubi was caught by home keeper Kian Moore, however,  he dropped the ball but managed to grab the ball at the second attempt before it crossed the goal-line.

Longford regained the lead on fifty-one minutes when a cross from the left from George reached Aaron Doran and he hit a stunning shot from just outside the box that flew past Cherrie and nestled in the back of the net. It did appear that the ball brushed off Doran’s hand, but the goal was allowed to stand.

The home side were reduced to fourteen players on sixty-seven minutes when striker Daragh Murtagh was shown a straight red card for a needless and very poor lunge from behind that took down John Ross Wilson just inside the Longford half.

Despite being down to ten players, it was Longford who scored the crucial next goal in the seventy-first minute and it was a brilliantly worked team goal.

A Dundalk clearance into the semi-circle inside the Longford half was read superbly by Town midfielder Alex O’Brien who came across to head the ball past the advancing opponent, he calmly controlled the ball and played a lovely pass to Oisin Hand who cleverly lifted the ball first time over the high Dundalk defensive line and George timed his run to perfection to beat the offside trap, and he showed great composure to lob the ball over the outrushing Dundalk keeper Cherrie into the net.

On eighty-five minutes Dundalk’s Kenny fired in a shot from the edge of the box that was narrowly off-target, while at the other end Longford substitute Stefan Ugbesia pulled a shot across the face of the Dundalk goal that went wide.

Longford almost made it four-one on ninety minutes when Sean Moore broke clear and played in Doran but his low shot from sixteen yards out produced a magnificent save from Cherrie.

Dundalk peppered the Longford goal in the last three minutes of additional time with Town keeper Kian Moore coming to the rescue twice.

On ninety-three minutes the Town stopper produced a superb save from Arubi’s close range effort and then moments later he produced an excellent save from Norman Garbett’s strike.

However, the league leaders did pull a goal back on ninety-four minutes when Mayowa Animasahun’s chested goal bound effort seemed to be touched home by Garbett but it was too little too late as Longford Town held on to secure a brilliant victory.

Longford Town (4-1-4-1): Kian Moore, Yoro, Hand, Egan, Irhue, Sean Moore, Manuel, Doran, O’Brien, George, Murtagh.

Sub:- Ugbesia for George (77 mins).

Dundalk FC (4-1-4-1): Cherrie, Mulligan, Animasahun, Leonard, Wilson, Kenny, Groome, Tracey, McDaid, Ebbe, Arubi.

Subs:- Ward for Ebbe, Vaughan for Mulligan, Paraschiv for Groome (all 57 minutes), Garbett for McDaid (68 minutes).

Referee: Glen Geraghty.