Longford Town 0 - 1 Kildare County

Kildare County moved off the bottom of the First Division table with a valuable 1-0 win over Longford Town in Flancare Park on Saturday night. Former Athlone Town player Colin Fortune was the man that got the all important goal as early as the seventh minute.

It wasn’t pretty to watch and over the course of the game the home side will feel aggrieved that they didn’t get something out of the game, but the simple fact was that they just couldn’t find the target. For the third game in a row, Town manager Aaron Callaghan started with the same eleven hoping that his team could win back-to-back for the first time this season after last week’s 3-1 win over Limerick 37. The Town were also looking to pick up their first three points at home for the first time since they beat Shels back in June.

Kildare manager John Ryan opted to field five players at the back to try and get something out of the game. Instead of playing defensive, the visitors were by far the better side in the first half. They bossed possession and put continuous pressure on the Town’s defence. Their performance belied their position at the bottom of the First Division table.

The first chance of the game yielded the first, and only, goal in the seventh minute. A corner swung in from the left by former Town player Colin Murray found former Athlone Town player Colin Fortune and he powerfully headed past ‘keeper Neil Gallagher.

The visitors could have doubled their lead two minutes later but Town right-back Stephen Gough did well to block Craig Mooney’s shot. The Town responded by pumping hopeless long balls up the field which no-one could get on the end of. Their first effort on goal didn’t come until the 25th minute. Gary Murphy swung a corner in from the right which the ‘keeper Autin O’Neill had to punch away.

John Ryan’s men dominated play and kept control of the ball as the home side failed to make any attempt to get back into the game. Just before half-time, the home side created their best chance of the half. Robert Douglas got to the end of a Damien Rushe cross but his powerful header was well saved by O’Neill.

It was very much a Jekyll and Hyde performance from the Town in this game. They were woeful in the first half and created very little, however, after the restart they were different opposition and made a game out of it.

Three minutes after the restart, Oladele whipped in a cross from the right but unfortunately for the home side no-one could get on the end of it. Daire Doyle had a chance to get the home side back on level terms on the hour mark but the defender narrowly headed over Gough’s pinpoint cross.

Town boss Callaghan decided to change things around and made a double substitution in the 65th minute. Regular left-back Alan O’Riordan made a welcome return from injury replacing Garry, while Evan Connolly came on for Hardy.

Connolly made an impact as soon as he was introduced. In the 68th minute, the substitute had a chance that was cleared away by the visitors defence. Two minutes later, he got to the end of a Gough cross but he dragged his shot from just inside the box agonisingly wide. Shortly after, Doyle had another header that floated over the bar. Connolly then had a chance to grab a point for the Town. Gough floated in a long free kick, Connolly got a foot to it but O’Neill was alert and able to gather.

Longford Town: Neil Gallagher, Stephen Gough, Daire Doyle, Stephen Brennan, Daithi Garry (Alan O'Riordan 64); Gary Murphy, Damien Rushe, Luke Hardy (Evan Connolly 64), Robert Douglas (Shane Harte 58); Darren McKenna, Jason Oladele.
Subs not used: John McGuinness (GK), Alan Lynch.

Booked: None.

Kildare County: Austin O’Neill; Colin Osbourne, Paul Donnelly, David O’Connell, Colin Murray; Barry Slattery (David Vickery 90); Colin Fortune, Craig Mooney, Cathal Brady (Eoin Kavanagh 46); Ger Robinson (Trevor Bowers 78), Ciaran Kilduff.
Subs not used: Charlie Treacy, Baba Isaaka.

Booked: A O'Neill, C Kilduff.

Referee: Conor Fitzgerald (Dublin).