Longford Town make positive start with a draw away to Bray Wanderers

After producing a turbo charged finish to the First Division campaign last season that yielded a super unbeaten run of five straight wins, Longford Town made a positive start to the 2026 league with a draw against Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle grounds on Friday night. 

Bray Wanderers . . . 1  Longford Town . . . 1

Fielding a few new signings, the team that Wayne Groves built for the current season showed a lot of character in battling back to earn a point after falling behind in the 12th minute against the new-look home side.

Dean George’s 46th minute equaliser cancelled out Richard Ferizaj’s early strike to leave it level in the end in what was a good boost for Longford in the build-up to the first home fixture against Cobh Ramblers who come to Bishopsgate on Saturday next, kick-off 7.30pm.  

Former Town defender Dean O’Shea was in action for the hosts and the early signs were promising for the Seagulls. The ball was worked to Dan Ring just inside the penalty area in the sixth minute. He wanted to shoot but was crowded out so slipped it right to Billy O’Neill. The winger wasted no time in delivering a wicked low cross that somehow evaded everyone as the visitors breathed a sigh of relief.

O’Neill’s next meaningful one would produce a goal. Cian Doyle was orchestrating things in the middle of the park and pinged a pass out to O’Neill on the right. He centred it and Richard Ferizaj was on hand to sweep it home to the far corner.

But after their bright start, the hosts then retreated and allowed Longford grow into the game before taking over for the remainder of the first half.

A clever chip in behind by newcomer Andy Paraschiv found Daragh Murtagh. He dinked a cross to the back post and Dean O’Shea – Town’s captain in 2025 – was on hand to deal with the danger. 

Paraschiv pipped between Alain Kizenga and Declan Osagie again on 24 minutes before squaring it for Murtagh. He took a touch to compose himself before slamming goalwards. Jimmy Corcoran managed to parry it and the rebound fell – albeit awkwardly – to Dean George who hit the ball over the crossbar from six yards.

A speculative 25 yard effort from Aaron Doran in the 37th minute had Corcoran scrambling but the Bray skipper happily watched it fly narrowly wide.

With Longford growing into the ascendency since the quarter hour mark, the Bray boss Paul Heffernan would have been hoping to shake up his troops in the second half. But less than a minute gone on the changeover they conceded the equaliser. 

The prominent Paraschiv once more escaped the attention of the Bray defence and picked out George in the middle who drilled the ball to the net from 10 yards out to level matters.

With the game in the balance, neither side seemed willing to take the bull by the horn. Town let their post-goal momentum fizzle out quickly and Wanderers didn’t look in a hurry to restore their lead.

Heffernan shook things up with a treble substitution, throwing on new faces Ifu Achara, Aime Azende Nyembo and youngster Ryan Kelly and the tide started to turn in Bray’s favour once again.

In the 76th minute, Achara broke clean through and rounded Town keeper Kian Moore. But he was denied instant hero status when Alex O’Brien somehow sliding in to hook it off the goal-line.

Four minutes later, Billy O’Neill stood over a free-kick 30 yards from goal. He fancied it and struck it. A nick off the wall caused trouble for Kian Moore who could only parry it but Achara couldn’t find the angle to shoot from the rebound with Longford managing to recover and clear.

Achara had a gilt-edged chance to win it on 84 minutes. A hopeful long ball was intercepted by Conor Errity but his attempted header back to Moore fell drastically short and Achara was in. He shot early but it sailed over the crossbar to a chorus of jeers from the travelling support and that was the conclusion to this tight contest. 

Bray Wanderers: Jimmy Corcoran; Alain Kizenga, Declan Osagie, Jamie Duggan, Dean O’Shea; Sean Brennan; Billy O’Neill, Richard Ferizaj, Cian Doyle, Tyreik Sammy; Daniel Ring.

Subs:- Ryan Kelly for Sammy (61); Aime Azende Nyembo for Brennan (61); Ifunanyachi Achara for Ring (61); Ethan Cheese for Ferizaj (85).

Longford Town: Kian Moore; Alex O’Brien, Cole Omorehiomwan, Conor Errity, Osaze Irhue; Sean Moore, Pharrell Manual; Dean George, Aaron Doran, Andy Paraschiv; Daragh Murtagh.

Subs:- Francis Campbell for George (71); Stefan Ugbesia for Doran (71); Kyle Robinson for Murtagh (79); Kobichidi Ndebumadu for Paraschiv (79). 

Referee: Ryan Maher.