- Pete Kelly
- Fri, Apr 29 2016
Anyone who watched the early exchanges here and went away would have been astonished with the final result as Longford came from two goals down to garner a point against Galway United in the most unlikely circumstances at Eamonn Deacy Park on Friday night.
The game had hardly started when Vinny Faherty scored for the fifth consecutive home game when he bravely flicked the ball over Paul Skinner's head.
Enda Curran was the provider with a great cross. Although shell-shocked by the opening minutes Longford surged forward themselves and following a corner from Kevin O'Connor, David O'Sullivan blasted the ball over.
Following that opening flurry, the game entered a scrappy period with both sides looking for supremacy in the midfield.
United gained that supremacy and went two up on 30 minutes when Enda Curran tapped in at the far post from Ryan Connolly's corner.
Vinny Faherty had initially set up Curran, whose shot was blocked for the corner and Longford were found desperately wanting at the corner with some dreadful marking.
Two minutes later Galway threatened again when Gary Shanahan's cross did not quite reach the marauding Faherty and the nervy Longford backline survived.
The remaining minutes of the half were played out with Galway dominating possession and Longford only sporadically looking like a threat.
Longford introduced Kaleem Simon for Don Cowan at the start of the second half and he showed some promise early on, as Longford moved to more of a 4-4-2 formation to bring the game to Galway.
Curran had a half chance after 53 minutes, when he almost got on the end of Shanahan's cross, with the resulting breaking ball being blasted over the bar by Marc Ludden.
Two minutes later Josh O'Hanlon bamboozled Killian Cantwell, but his effort lacked control and the ball went harmlessly wide and you were left wondering just where Longford would be able to conjure up a chance.
Moments later O'Hanlon pulled one back for Longford when he managed a looping header over Winn and while he took his chance well the defending left a lot to be desired from a Galway perspective.
Longford were buoyed by the goal and looked much more a threat as they pushed extra neb forward.
Galway introduced Padraic Cunningham, perhaps to bring more pace to the attack on 64 minutes, with Enda Curran making way. However, Cunningham limped from the pitch two minutes later to be replaced by Ruairi Keating.
Longford equalised in bizarre circumstances on 68 minutes when O'Hanlon saw his shot come back off the post and ended up in the net courtesy of Conor Winn's knee. That crazy sequence of play left Tommy Dunne livid in his technical area - total lack of concentration by Galway.
Noel Haverty picked up a yellow card on 73 minutes for going through Keating and it looked like he may have actually have broken his own arm in a freak accidental clash with Keating - he was replaced by Mulhall. Galway became very disjointed and ragged as they tried to recover from the two hammer blows and grab a winner.
Galway had a big shout for a penalty on 80minutes, when Ludden appeared to be fouled when trying to get a shot in, but the referee waved play on as the home side tried everything to get back in front.
Shanahan had a chance on 86 minutes when he was set up by Faherty and was in two minds between shooting and crossing! He knocked it wide. Keating popped up three minutes later, with a brilliant individual piece of skill and only a great goal line clearance by Powel saved Longford.
As the game entered stoppage time, Galway poured forward but it proved to be too little too late.
Longford will long wonder how they managed to get a point here while Tommy Dunne will have some harsh words for his squad.
This was a game in which the home side was coasting at half time and subsequently went to sleep and conceded two very poor goals.
Galway United: Conor Winn; Colm Horgan, Marc Ludden, Killian Cantwell, Paul Sinnott; Stephen Walsh, Gary Shanahan, John Sullivan, Ryan Connolly; Vinny Faherty, Enda Curran, (Padraic Cunningham, 64) (Ruairi Keating 68).
Subs not used; Kevin Horgan, Alex Byrne, , Cormac Raftery, Conor Melody, Eric Foley.
Yellow Cards: Stephen Walsh (83)
Longford Town; Paul Skinner; Conor Powell, Noel Haverty, (James Mulhall, 74), Pat Flynn, Mark Rossiter; Mark Hughes,( Kealon Dillon, 66), Don Cowan, (Kaleem Simon , HT), Josh O'Hanlon, Kevin O'Connor; David O'Sullivan, Philip Gannon.
Subs not used: Ian Molloy, Peter McGlynn, Tristan Hofman, John McKeown.
Booked: Noel Haverty (73).
Attendance: 1,176.
Referee Paul McLaughlin.
Extratime Man of the Match; Josh O'Hanlon (Longford Town).
You can see pictures from the game by Jimmy McElroy here.
