Hope sets target on more goals

After months of being dogged by injury Longford Town defender Des Hope marked his return to first team football with a brace against Waterford United on Saturday night. Town’s 3-2 win over the Blues saw them maintain their 100% start to the season.
 

Hope, whose only appearance this season for the Town was in the Leinster Senior Cup, was thrilled to play his first league game in five months.

“I’m delighted to be back in. I was a bit rusty for the first half but I thought as the game went on I got into it. I was delighted to get two goals; should’ve had a third. I’ll take the two goals for now. Five months out was a long time. Hopefully I can stay in the team,” he told extratime.ie

The defender’s brace on Saturday was overshadowed by two superb goals from Waterford’s Gary Dunphy and Gary Dempsey. Dempsey’s strike meant for a nervy final few minutes at Flancare Park. After seeing those two goals Hope admitted he thought it wasn’t going to be Town’s night.

“I saw the first goal going into the top corner and thought ‘wow’ and then the second one is an even better one. I thought to myself ‘I hope it isn’t one of those nights’. Thankfully we were dogged in defence and held out for the win.”
 

Hope is now joint top scorer at the club along with Daniel Purdy (both are on two goals). He wants to add to Saturday’s goals and has a target for the season. He said, “I just want to try and get as many as I can this season. I should be scoring more than I do, I know that. I’m going to aim for 10 this season. I’m not there to score goals but I will take them when they come.”

Town’s win on Saturday night was a historic one. It was the first time the club have ever won their opening four games of the season. They’ll be hoping to re-write the history books on Friday night when they travel to Terryland Park to take on SD Galway before they make the trip to Limerick the week after. Hope knows the Galway side will provide stiff opposition.

“Salthill on Friday will be a tough game because they are well-organised and gritty. We want to win that going into the Limerick game and be full of confidence.”
 

The aim this season for the Town is a top three finish but Hope believes that they have a squad capable of winning the league. He is well aware of how tough the division is and they’re taking it one game at a time.

“Every player knows that if we look around we have a great squad. That is a squad that is capable of winning this league. That’s what we are going to aim for this year. We’ll take it one game at a time though. We don’t want to get carried away because we know it’s a tough league and on their day anyone can beat anyone,” said Hope.