Longford Town 4 Kildare County 0
Credit:
Longford Town got their first win of the season on Saturday night, defeating a poor Kildare County side by four goals to nil at Flancare Park. Three goals in the first twenty one minutes gave Longford a lead they never looked like losing. Jim Sheridan added his second and Kildare's fourth in the second half to round off an easy win for Alan Gough's side.
There were only forty spectators in attendance as the game kicked off, but a further three hundred turned up in the next twenty or thirty minutes. They may have caught the end of Ireland's historic win in Cardiff, but they missed Longford's opening goals.
Sheridan got his first of the night after just four minutes. Derek Glynn picked possession up in the box after Kildare failed to properly clear a free kick from the right. Glynn got to the byline and picked out the unmarked Sheridan in the six yard box. The former Athlone defender had the simple task of side footing the ball into the net
Five minutes later Longford doubled their lead. A long ball by Brian McCarthy from deep inside his own half caught the Kildare back four square as Glynn raced goalwards. County keeper Colin Cassidy raced from in area, but Glynn got to the ball first, touched it past the stranded keeper, and finished into the empty net.
Longford then scored their third, from their third chance of the game. Jason McCartney broke free on the left and clipped the ball into the area towards the penalty spot. Midfielder Gary Curran arrived right on time and directed it past Cassidy.
The remainder of the half was a dull affair in comparison. Kildare made two changes to their back four. Paul Rigney had a great chance to pull one back for the visitors five minutes before the break, but sent his free header at the open goal wide of the upright from five yards out.
McCartney was the provider again after sixty three minutes. The former Sligo wingers free kick from the right evaded everyone in the box, including Cassidy who tried to punch it clear. The ball kindly at the feet of Sheridan at the back post, and he poked the ball home into the empty net from four yards.
With twelve minutes left in the game substitute Darragh Concannon hit the crossbar with a powerful drive from twenty five yards. The former Ballinasloe man then had a right footed volley headed off the line by Kildare's Alan Thorpe.
Longford Town: Brendan Murphy; Tom King, Brian McCarthy, Jim Sheridan, Ray Kenny; Carmine Russo, Gary Curran (Brian Murtagh 76), Colm Jinks, Michael Lee (Eoin Hoare 61); Jason McCartney, Derek Glynn (Darragh Concannon 76).
Subs not used: Alan Gough (gk), Stephen Brennan.
Kildare County: Colin Cassidy; Matt Byrne (Daithi Garry 32), Stephen Burke (Alan Thorpe 36), Colin Murray (Stephen Dunne 76), Babba Issaka; Cathal Brady, Colin Osbourne, Rory Brown, Paul Rigney, Leslie Kelly, Paddy Mahon.
Subs not used: Patrick Dobbs, Kevin McDonnell.
Referee: Keith Callanan
Attendance: 340
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Jason McCartney (Longford Town).
