Wexford Youths v Longford Town

• Simon O'Gorman
• Fri, Aug 02 2013




WEXFORD YOUTHS

Wexford Youths have endured a topsy turvy season in terms of league form with promising results and patches of good form intermingled with regular disappointments. This is the lot of a football club operating on a shoestring in the national league

 

As high as third in the First Division table going in to the mid season break, a run of five straight league defeats have seen Wexford slip to seventh place and with just nine games left the 12 point gap to the play-off plays would now seem to be insurmountable.

 

Wexford ‘s problems appears straightforward; they have kept just one clean sheet in eight league games and have scored in just one of their last five. Goals have been in short supply with Eric Molloy and Aidan Keenan sharing top spot in club’s scoring charts with just four league goals apiece. But defensively Wexford have given themselves little chance with eleven conceded in their last five outings.

 

Manager Shane Keegan will be without centre back CJ Browne for the visit of Longford as he serves a suspension. 

 

LONGFORD TOWN

Having led the First Division for all but two weeks of the 2013 campaign Longford Town find their charge for promotion being seriously challenged by local rivals Athlone Town. Now second to their rivals on goal difference Tony Cousins’ team need to rediscover the form that had them looking like nailed on promotion certainties earlier in the season.

 

After 13 rounds of league games Longford had only been beaten by Finn Harps (twice) but a 2-0 defeat to Athlone on June 14th signaled the start of a run that has brought only one win in six.

 

Perhaps the 3-4 defeat away to Cobh Ramblers, having led 3-0, best encapsulates a collapse in confidence that threatens to derail the midlanders promotion hopes. While last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at home to Mervue United managed to both confirm Mervue’s presence among the leaders and further dent Longford’s credentials.

 

But for all the doom and gloom, Longford level on points with Athlone and with nine games remaining a quick return to form would give them every chance of recovering their position. David O’Sullivan continues to score regularly, despite their downturn in form, and he currently tops the goal-scoring charts with 20 league and Cup goals. These are the kind of numbers that will look ominous to a Wexford defence that has kept just one clean sheet in eight games.

 

Referee: Rob Harvey.

 

 

MATCH STATS

Longford striker David O’Sullivan has scored 17 times in 19 league games this season. He has also added 3 cup goals taking his tally to 20 so far this year. 

 

Longford have won both the previous encounters between these teams with David O’Sullivan netting three times. Longford won 1-0 at Ferrycarrig in April and 3-1 at home in June.

 

Wexford last beat Longford in a league game on 22 October 2010 when an 84th minute winner by Anthony Wolfe secured a 2-1 win at Flancare Park.

 

 

BETTING

Wexford 10/3; Draw 12/5; Longford 8/11.

 

PREDICTION

Longford to recover some ground with a 2-0 win.

 

 

Wexford Youths

Injured: Unavailable.

Doubtful: Unavailable.

Suspended: CJ Browne.

 

Longford Town

Injured: Unavailable.

Doubtful: Unavailable.

Suspended: None.