SD Galway 1 - 3 Longford Town

Goals for Longford Town are a bit like Dublin Bus you wait ages for one and then a few come together at once. This was the case in Terryland Park as they eased to a 3-1 victory over bottom side SD Galway.

In their previous three games the Town have scored just one goal as they dropped seven points and slipped to second in the table. This was a deserved victory and gives them a boost ahead of the top of the table clash with Limerick next Friday.
 

Town made the perfect start to the game and broke the deadlock in the 4th minute; Daniel Purdy’s corner from the right was headed home by Gary Shaw for his fourth goal of the season.
 

Five minutes later and the home side had a chance to draw level; Enda Curran’s rasping shot was tipped onto the crossbar by Town keeper Craig Hyland and it bounced back into his arms.

Longford then took a hold of proceedings and played some lovely football. Though SD Galway had another chance to get on level terms in the 23rd minute but Nicky Curran’s free was blocked by the Longford defence.
 

Two minutes later and Longford doubled their advantage. Purdy who was provider for the first turned goalscorer, finishing Thomas Crawley’s left wing cross to the net.
 

It was all Longford at this stage as they went in search of another goal. In the 39th minute Shaw was unlucky not to get his second of the net shooting wide from a Purdy free-kick.
 

One minute before the break and Longford made it three when Karl Bermingham headed home Crawley’s cross from the edge of the box.
 

Longford started the second half brightly. In the 59th minute they could’ve added to their tally; Purdy with the cross but Des Hope just couldn’t get his effort on target. Completely against the run of play the home side got a goal back; Longford keeper Craig Hyland completely missed the ball and defender Paddy Quinlan made mistake.
 

SD Galway then nearly gifted Longford a fourth goal in the 71^st minute; Brian Gaffney played his back-pass short but Brian Geraghty was able to prevent any danger. It was all Longford at this stage as they went chasing for another goal. Purdy should’ve grabbed his second of the game in the 80th minute; sub Tony Griffiths played a neat ball in but Purdy’s shot hit the side-netting.
 

Longford continued to pile on the pressure in the final 10 minutes but just couldn’t add anymore goals to their tally.

SD Galway: Thomas Keane; Eugene Greaney (Luke McConnell 82), Brian Geraghty, Paddy Quinlan, Brian Gaffney; Ronan Conlon (Dave Meehan 82), Michael Harty, Nicky Curran, Timmy Molloy; Damien O’Reilly (Jason Lyons 31), Enda Curran.
Subs not used: Cian Fadden, Oscar Sibanda, Gerry Dolan, Ronan Burke.
Bookings: Quinlan (38), Lyons (56), E Curran (73).

Longford Town: Craig Hyland; Noel Haverty, Des Hope, Willo McDonagh, Mike Lee; Robert Bayly (Craig Walsh 71), Keith Gillespie, Karl Bermingham, Thomas Crawley (Tony Griffiths 75); Gary Shaw (Jamie Duffy 85), Daniel Purdy.
Subs not used: Paul Hunt, Daragh Reynor, Niall O’Reilly, Chris Deans.
Bookings: Bermingham (42).

Referee: Kevin O’Regan.
Attendance: 119
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Gary Shaw (Longford Town).