Longford Town -v- Mervue United

• Terry Flaherty
• Sat, Sep 03 2011


Longford Town welcome Mervue Utd to Flancare Park for the second and final time this season in the Airtricity First Division on Saturday evening with kick off at 7.30 p.m. 

Amazingly the home side’s last four games have all ended on scorelines of 3-1, with only one in favour of Tony Cousins side, and that was in their most recent league outing away to Wexford Youths. Previous to that they suffered two home league defeats to first and second placed Shelbourne and Cork City, while they exited the FAI Cup last weekend at the hands of Premier Division Bohemians, also at home.

Johnny Glynn’s young Mervue side return to action following a break last weekend as they look to get back to winning ways after a 2-1 home defeat to Cork City in their most recent outing. Prior to that they had claimed the Galway City bragging honours in emphatic style with a 5-0 thumping of city rivals Salthill Devon in Drom. Glynn will be hoping for a return to that form on Saturday evening in Flancare Park.  

Honours are even between the two sides in their meetings so far this season. Longford left it very late to claim an injury time winner back in March in Flancare Park to secure a 2-1 win as a late own goal from Eric Browne and an even later Chris Deans goal cancelled out Mike Tierney’s opener for Mervue. Glynn’s side left it even later to claim a 2-1 win in Fahy’s Field at the end of May as former Town player Tom King struck four minutes into injury time for the win.

To add to his squad’s number of long term injuries, Glynn will have to plan without James Casserly who has picked up a groin injury and also Kevin Crehan and Barry McEntee who are unavailable. On the plus side midfielder Noel Varley will return from suspension, while Damien O’Rourke, Mike Elwood, Paul Lawless, Jason Finn and Kenny Farrell could all return to the squad.

Longford will have to plan without one of their most impressive performers of the season as striker, Don Cowan, has secured a move across the water to Npower Championship Division One side Stevenage FC following his transfer before Wednesday’s deadline. Niall O’Reilly and Keith Gillespie are doubts for Longford having missed the last couple of games through injury.

Tony Cousin’s fifth placed side will look to increase the gap of five points between them and seventh placed Mervue, who will be hoping to reduce that margin back to just two points for the final run in of games. A tight game looks to be on the cards in Flancare Park on Saturday night. Longford Town
Injured: None.
Doubtful: Niall O’Reilly, Keith Gillespie.
Suspended: None.

Mervue United
Injured: Nicky Curran (knee), Tom King (cruciate), Dan Cunningham (broken bone), Mike Collins (ankle), James Casserly (groin).
Doubtful: None.
Unavailable: Kevin Crehan, Barry McEntee.
Suspended: None.

Referee: Conor Fitzgerald (Dublin).
Paddy Power odds: Longford Town 5/6; Draw 9/4; Mervue Utd 3/1.
Extratime prediction: A score draw looks on the cards.