Mervue United -v- Longford Town

MERVUE UNITED

Johnny Glynn’s Mervue side will be looking to get their season off to a winning start at home but that cause will be hampered by suspensions and injuries as they open their season at Fahy’s Field. New signings Alan Murphy and Stephen Walsh along with Jason Molloy are due to serve bans for yellow cards accumulated last season. Injuries will also rule out Martin Conneely (groin), Marc Ludden (groin) and Shane Keogh (groin) but new signings Ronan Forde, Gary Kelly, Philip Keegan and Michael McSweeney are all in contention to make their debuts for the club.

Glynn is looking forward to the start of the competitive action on Friday night “We are looking forward to getting started having had a good pre-season and training camp at Reading Football Club. Longford will be one of the top sides in the division this year and will be pushing hard for promotion so it will be a good challenge for us to kick off with. Tony has strengthened his squad in key areas and made some good signings.”
 

LONGFORD TOWN

With only a disappointing eight teams in the First Division this season and the likes of Cork, Shelbourne and Monaghan promoted to the top tier, Tony Cousins Longford look set to battle it out with Waterford for a play-offs spot especially with the bookmakers marking up Limerick as almost certs for the First Division title.

If Longford have any pretensions of a top three finish then beginning the season with a win in Fahy’s Field would be a good starting point. Cousins has made some talented acquisitions to his squad with experienced league players Alan Kirby and Colm James returning for second spells with the midlanders, while strikers Gary Shaw (Bray) and Karl Bermingham (Shelbourne) have also joined the club along with Noel Haverty (St Pats) and Craig Hyland (Shamrock Rovers). Longford also have some injuries to contend with as Jeff Flood, Des Hope, Craig Walsh, Niall O’Reilly and Michael Lee are all side lined for the start of the campaign. Striker Austin Skelly did not feature against Sligo Rovers in last weekend’s 3-0 pre-season friendly defeat, but he should be in contention to start.

Referee:  Darren Coombes (Kildare).

MATCH STATS

Honours were even between these two sides over last season’s three games with Longford winning 2-1 in Flancare Park with a very late injury time Chris Deans winner, while Tom King’s provided a winner, also deep in injury time, for a 2-1 Mervue win at Fahy’s Field, while the final meeting ended all square in a 2-2 draw.

Longford have won only once in Mervue in three seasons, a 1-0 win back in 2009, while Mervue have won all three other meetings in Galway.

Longford’s Austin Skelly is the only player to have scored twice in a game between the two sides in last season’s 2-2 draw.

BETTING

Mervue Utd 2/1; Draw 23/10; Longford Town 11/10.

PREDICTION

This game has draw written all over it, as last season’s sixth plays seventh, 1-1.

Mervue United Injured: Martin Conneely (groin), Marc Ludden (groin) and Shane Keogh (groin).

Mervue United Doubtful: None.

Mervue United Suspended: Jason Molloy, Alan Murphy and Stephen Walsh.

Longford Town Injured: Jeff Flood, Craig Walsh, Des Hope and Niall O’Reilly.

Longford Town Doubtful: Michael Lee.

Longford Town Suspended: None.

Live Updates Link: http://extratime.ie/fixtures/detail/18087/1/