League Report: Longford Town 2 - 1 Kerry

Longford Town secured their first win in the Airtricity League First Division at the 13th attempt after a deserved 2-1 victory over an out of form Kerry side at Bishopsgate on Monday evening.

It was the home side who began the brighter in what were breezy enough conditions in the Midlands and some lovely combination play down the right hand side between Shane Elworthy, Luke Wade-Slater and Ross Fay in the fifth minute presented striker Jordan Adeyemo with a sighter from outside the box. However, the former Wexford man shot wildly over. It was an encouraging start nonetheless from the league’s basement side.

At the other end, Kerry centre-forward Victor Udeze got his head to a trademark Sam Aladesanusi long throw but his effort was never threatening Longford Town goalkeeper Jack Brady.

It was to be the hosts who broke the deadlock midway through the half, courtesy of a scrappy set piece goal. Left-back Kyle O'Connor forced a corner down the left-hand-side and from Conor Crowley's delivery to the far post, Wade-Slater beat Kerry defender Jack Kavanagh to the ball and his effort was headed in from point blank range by Francis Campbell.

Less than five minutes later and the hosts were in dreamland, again punishing Kerry FC's inability to defend a corner. O'Connor's cross from the left found its way to fellow full-back Elworthy at the far post and his pull back was headed narrowly wide of his own goal by Evison Rramani.

It was to be a temporary reprieve for the Kingdom however, as from the resultant corner, Crowley's delivery was headed in all too easily by Wade-Slater, with Kerry custodian Antonia Tuta not covering himself in glory.

Udeze tried to respond for Kerry but again, his header from a Kavanagh delivery from the left was well off target. Once more, it was a half chance at best for the big centre-forward.

Kerry manager Conor McCarthy had seen enough and took the unusual measure of making a double substitution before the half hour mark, introducing key attackers Ryan Kelliher and Daniel Okwute.

The away side certainly looked laboured in possession during the opening thirty minutes and clearly had issues defending Longford corners. It was therefore something of a surprise that Udeze and fellow attacker Nathan Gleeson were the players sacrificed in the shake up.

The Longford tide kept coming however, and Dean O'Shea missed the chance to make it a hat-trick of set piece goals in a little more than ten minutes when he headed yet another corner from the left from Crowley over the bar from inside the six-yard-box after O'Connor once again forced the set piece with a strong run down the left.



More ramshackle defending from Kerry again nearly presented Longford with a third goal before the interval, Ethan Kos and Kavanagh the guilty parties on this occasion, however Campbell couldn't make the most of the opportunity that was presented to him.

The away side would need a vast improvement in the second period.

Again, McCarthy opted for a double change at the break, including the introduction of former Athlone Town forward Valerii Dolia for his league debut, in the hope of salvaging something from the game.

As in the first half, Adeyemo was the first to threaten, firing high and wide from a tight angle after good approach play from Wade-Slater.

The forward missed a more presentable opportunity in the 54th minute, heading over from a good position after a cross from the left from Mohammed Boudiaf.

O'Shea was next to try his luck for the hosts, again missing the target from a Crowley corner, this time from the right, as the one way traffic continued.



Rramani had Kerry's first shot in anger of the second half, firing over from distance in the 61st minute.

Dolia was next to have a go from distance, but his weak effort was no trouble for the underworked Brady.

It would be pushing it to say a goal was coming for the away side, but one duly arrived out of nowhere in the 72nd minute. Rramani found Okwute on the right and his cross dropped to fellow sub Kelliher, who took one touch to control and produced an excellent improvised finish past the despairing dive of Brady.

Kerry were now suddenly looking the more likely and Okwute headed a whipped free kick from Sean O'Connell over the bar from close range as the Kingdom enjoyed their best spell of the game.

Kelliher's free kick was comfortably dealt with by Brady as the game entered the final ten minutes.

No doubt buoyed by his goal, Kelliher was by now becoming increasingly influential and his flick on sent Sean McGrath scampering towards the Longford goal, with O'Shea forced into a last ditch block to preserve the hosts lead.

From a position of relative comfort, Longford were now very much hanging on, however, try as they  might, Kerry could just not find the equalizing goal and Longford held on to secure their long awaited first victory, closing the gap on their opponents to two points in the process.

Longford Town: Jack Brady, Shane Elworthy, Viktor Serdeniuk, Dean O'Shea, Kyle O'Connor, Luke Wade-Slater, Conor Crowley, Ross Fay (Jordan Tallon 87), Mohammed Boudiaf (Guilherme Rego Priosti 90), Francis Campbell (Samuel Clarke 75), Jordan Adeyamo (Emmanuel James 87).

Subs not used: Jack McCarthy, Ryan Boyle, Oisin Hand, Callum Bonner, Vasyl Tropanets.

Booked: Kyle O'Connor 76, Ross Fay 79

Kerry FC: Antonio Tuta, Kevin Williams, Sam Aladesanusi, Ethan Kos, Jack Kavanagh (Sean O'Connell 46), Daire McCarthy (Steven Healy 57), Evison Rramani, Sean McGrath, Nathan Gleeson (Daniel Okwute 29), Kennedy Amechi (Valerii Dolia 46), Victor Udeze (Ryan Kelliher 29).

Subs not used: Aaron O'Sullivan, Finn Barrett, Cian Brosnan, Graham O'Reilly.

Booked: Antonio Tuta 26, Ryan Kelliher 64, Daniel Okwute 74

Referee: Ryan Maher

Attendance: 348

extratime.com Player of the Match: Luke Wade-Slater

About Aidan Breen

View Full Profile