Monaghan United 3 - 2 Longford Town

Two-goal Sean Brennan was usurped in the glory stakes by his brother Ryan who stroked home the winning goal in the final of four minutes of added time to snatch a vital come-from-behind victory for promotion hunting Monaghan United against a determined and well organised Longford Town in a gripping Gortakeegan grapple that had the twists and turns of a Hitchcock thriller.

It was a result that looked beyond United when they trailed 1-2 at half-time, and even when back on level terms they were held at bay by some resolute Town defending and the constant threat on the counter-attack by Longford’s inspirational Cathal Brady.

Town played a high defensive line in an attempt to take the edge off the home side’s attacking play, but they found themselves behind after only ten minutes when a slip by full back Gary Cronin allowed Sean Brennan to latch onto the ball and hit a sublime first time lobbed volley over Alvin Rouse and into the net via the underside of the crossbar.  

United went from elation to deflation within two minutes.  A heavy challenge from Aidan Collins on Thomas Crawley in the box presented Longford with a penalty that was nervelessly dispatched by their captain Mark Salmon.

Fabio O’Brien had a quick opportunity to restore the Mons’ advantage, but the striker, going through an arid time of late, dallied too long and allowed Rouse to advance to smother his eventual effort.
 

The intensity of the game relented somewhat after that, and the remainder of the half was somewhat attritional until the 41st minute, when Town produced a stunning strike.
 

Brady embarked on a mazy run across the face of the United penalty area, his eventual shot cannoning off Willo McDonagh only to drop invitingly into the path of Crawley, who instinctively let loose a left-foot volley that flashed like an Exocet into the top corner.
 

Although boss Roddy Collins was exiled to the stands for his sending off in the recent Finn Harps game, his No.2 Aidan Lynch must have found the Churchillian touch in the United dressing room at half-time, as the fired up Mons were on level terms only four minutes after the resumption.
 

Some elegant midfield passing led to Jordan Keegan sliding the ball into the path of Sean Brennan, who notched his second with a sweet strike on the run.  United were in the ascendancy after that, but Longford defended in depth and were often a thorn in the home side’s flesh on the counter attack thanks to the promptings of the irrepressible Brady.
 

As the game entered its final ten minutes, only the crossbar denied Brennan his hat trick from a wickedly curling free kick. Des Hope flashed a header wide for Town but it was mostly a survival game for them in the finale, with only a deflection taking an Eric Foley effort for United off-target and another Brennan free-kick inciting pandemonium in the Longford penalty area before the ball was unceremoniously hacked clear.
 

With four minutes of added time signalled, neither the Mons not their vociferous supporters had given up hope, but when only thirty seconds of that time remained even the most partisan had begun to abandon their three point dreams.
 

Not so Ryan Brennan, who kept his head when the ball was fed to him in a congested penalty area by Aidan Collins and curled a shot past Rouse and into the net for a victory that could prove of vital importance for his side in their promotion challenge.

 

Monaghan United: Sava; A Collins, McDonagh, A Byrne, Grimes; Reilly, Foley, R Brennan, Keegan; O’Brien (Paul Byrne 86), S Brennan.
Subs not used: Isichei, Whelan, Philip Byrne, D Byrne, Rossiter, Marks.
 

Longford Town: Rouse; Hyland, Hope, Flood, Cronin; Gillespie (Walsh 64), O’Brien, Salmon, Crawley (Morley 73); Biansumba (A Skelley 80), Brady.
Subs not used: S Skelley, Purdy, Fallon, McGreal.

 

Referee: P Caschera