Ten-man Longford Town battered by Bray Wanderers

After climbing up the First Division table and into a promotion play-off spot, Longford Town FC suffered a setback in a battering by Bray at the Carlisle grounds on Friday night.

Bray Wanderers . . . 5 Longford Town . . . 2

The turning point materialised when Longford were reduced to ten players with just 20 minutes gone in the game after the keeper Kian Moore received a straight red card.

In what appeared to be a harsh decision, Moore was sent-off after advancing in a frantic attempt to stop Dan Ring getting through for a goal opportunity. Referee Ryan Maher took a few moments to make a decision before he decided to dismiss the Town netminder.

In came newcomer CJ Odum to take his place in goals and he immediately conceded the opening goal when Ben McCormack planted the excellent free-kick (awarded for the Kian Moore foul) into the back of the net.

It was always going to be a massive uphill battle for the remainder of the match with Bray making the most of their numerical advantage to win with considerable ease in the end in what was a rude awakening for the Town manager Wayne Groves who had to plan without the injured playmaker Aaron Doran.

It might have been a different story if the firmly struck header from Jamie Egan had found the back of the net in the first minute but the Longford central defender was denied by the opposing keeper Jimmy Corcoran who produced a vital parried save.

Minutes later, a Town corner was met by Egan but Corcoran and his defence managed to clear the danger in another lucky escape for the home side.

The red card for Kian Moore changed the course of the game but after trailing 1-0 at the break there was a glimmer of hope for Longford who equalised with three minutes gone on the changeover. Osaze Irhue crossed from the right and the alert Andy Paraschiv nipped in to hit the target.

Bray quickly got back on top and two goals in quick succession wrapped up all three points for the Wanderers.

After Jamie Duggan appeared to get away with a foul, the ball was moved left to Tyreik Sammy and he floated in a cross that deceived Longford’s inexperienced reserve keeper Odum and nestled in the far corner with 54 minutes gone on the clock.

Bray then struck the killer blow sixty seconds later. Doyle broke into the area and rolled the ball into McCormack’s path who clipped it in via the far post for his second goal on the night.

McCormack then turned provider to set up Doyle for the fourth Bray goal in the 65th minute. McCormack delivered a corner from the left and the unmarked Doyle connected with the ball to direct a powerful header past Odum.

Longford scored a consolation in the 85th minute when substitute Cole Omorehiomwan headed home a corner from another replacement Daniel McKenna but Bray had the final say as the dangerman Doyle found Kizenga in the area and he fired the ball into the back of the net.

The Town make the long trip down to Tralee next Friday minus the suspended Kian Moore for the tough task against the ever improving Kerry FC who are also in the hunt for a play-off spot and will be brimming with confidence following their surprise 1-0 win away to UCD on Friday night.

BRAY WANDERERS: Jimmy Corcoran; Alain Kizenga, Declan Osagie, Jamie Duggan, Dean O’Shea; John Bilili Sesay, Cian Doyle; Ifu Achara, Ben McCormack, Tyreik Sammy; Dan Ring.

Subs:- Richard Ferizaj for Sesay (64); Ryan Kelly for O’Shea (64); Ethan Cheese for Achara (72); Conor Knight for Sammy (77); Sean Brennan for McCormack (77).

LONGFORD TOWN: Kian Moore; Osaze Irhue, Jamie Egan, Taylor McCarthy, Jake Hough; Sean Moore; Pharrell Manuel, Alex O’Brien, Andy Paraschiv; Dean Williams, Daragh Murtagh.

Subs:- CJ Odum for Williams (21); Cole Omorehiomwan for Egan (73); Stefan Ugbesia for Murtagh (73); Daniel McKenna for Paraschiv (73); Sultan Adenekan for Manuel (74).

Referee: Ryan Maher.