Limerick FC -v- Longford Town

LIMERICK FC

Pat Scully will welcome Tony Cousins’ Longford side to Jackman Park for their top of the table clash on Friday evening. While performances may be leaving a lot to be desired thus far, Limerick are still managing to overcome the majority of their challengers both home and away. Longford however, are the only team ahead of the Blues in the league table and this test could well be their toughest so far.

Dominic Foley appears to be the only certainty to miss the crucial tie, while Derek O’Brien has been judged as 50/50. Garry Sheahan picked up a knock in training, and could well miss the crunch match against the Town. This produces a real problem for Pat Scully as both have put in fantastic performances in their individual appearances so far this season while Garry Sheahan’s electric pace could well have been influential in proceedings.

A solid win last week in Athlone thanks to another Joe Gamble goal ensured that Limerick go into this game with the possibility of overtaking Longford at the summit, should they win. With Waterford United being the only blip in form so far, Limerick have more than justified their position by their ruthless attacking style since the disaster on Suirside.

Limerick forward Rory Gaffney admitted that this won’t be an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. “I expect it to be a very tough game. Longford a very good side who play good football and they have a well organised shape. They have started very well, and while we have also been doing well, we know we have to be at our best if we want to take the three points.”

LONGFORD TOWN

Making the trip down to Shannonside is never going to be easy, and this game could well define just how good Longford Town really are. A very attack minded 4-3-3 shape has been the order of the day so far for Longford as they are more than ready to show their attacking prowess, regardless the opposition.

Longford go into this tie with a few injury concerns. Jeff Flood, Jacques Morley and Niall O’Reilly continue to thin their manager’s options while Craig Walsh isn’t 100% match fit just yet but may make the bench.

Longford are coming off the back of their first slip up. Dropping their first points was inevitable, but against SD Galway, all three points were expected by the Town fans. Noel Haverty opened the scoring for Longford, but an Enda Curran penalty levelled matters just three minutes after the restart.

Should Longford come away with a win from Jackman Park, they will find themselves four points ahead of the Blues; an idea that seemed very much unthinkable to the bookmakers at the beginning of the season. Whatever the result, the game is set up to be the biggest in the second tier so far.

Referee: Conor Fitzgerald.

MATCH STATS

Limerick won all the encounters between the sides last season by a single goal.

You have to go the whole way back to 2009 for Longford’s last win on Shannonside. They won that game by four goals to one.

In a 1-0 defeat in Flancare Park in 2010, Limerick saw two of their own players sent off for fighting each other. Jeffrey Judge and Jason Hughes were the culprits in what was one of the strangest incidents of the season.

BETTING

Limerick 4/6; Draw 13/5; Longford 7/2.

PREDICTION

I’m going for a scoreless draw; 0-0.

Limerick Injury News: Dominic Foley (Knee), Garry Sheahan, Derek O’Brien (50/50).

Limerick Suspension News: None.

Longford Injury News: Niall O’Reilly, Jeff Flood, Jacques Morley, Craig Walsh.

Longford Suspension News: None.