- Eoin Rosney
- Sat, Mar 20 2021
Eoin Rosney reports from Bishopsgate.
Longford Town started life back in the Premier Division with a 2-0 victory over Derry City at Bishopsgate on Saturday evening. An early Dylan Grimes goal laid the foundations for an impressive win for the home side, as Joe Gorman put the icing on the cake in the 71st minute with a close-range goal to seal all three points for the Midlanders.
They were deserving winners, and manager Daire Doyle will be delighted with his team’s performance. They pressed Derry high, were comfortable on the ball, and looked extremely dangerous on the break. Meanwhile, Derry will be extremely disappointed. Declan Devine’s side looked sluggish from the start, and apart from a David Parkhouse shot just before half time, they never really troubled the Longford defence.
Longford started well and almost got the perfect start to life back in the Premier Division. Two minutes in, Rob Manley made a piercing run at the Derry defence and teed up Dylan Grimes, but his right footed shot floated just wide of the Derry goals.
Just five minutes later, they had their perfect start, and it was Manley and Grimes who combined again. Manley, who caused Derry huge problems in the opening 10 minutes, played the ball out wide to Grimes. He did brilliantly to turn Danny Lafferty and make space for himself inside the box. His low shot flew by Nathan Gartside in the Derry goal and into the far corner.
It took Derry 26 minutes to create any half decent chance. Will Patching’s free kick from the left was met by the towering Eoin Toal, but he headed down onto a Longford head, and out for a corner, which Longford dealt with comfortably.
Longford were pushing for a second and could have had three. Aaron Bolger hit a stinging shot, but it was straight at Gartside, who comfortably saved. A minute later, Dean Byrne was teed up, but he could not find the target, as his shot drifted wide of the target.
It was just on the stroke of half time when Derry had their first real chance of the game. David Parkhouse did well to control the ball in the box, but his shot on the turn was well saved by Lee Stacey, in what proved to be the final chance of the first half.
The second half started, just as the first had, with Longford threatening inside the first three minutes. Dean Byrne forced Gartside into a good save, before Dean Zambra blazed over from well inside the box.
Derry almost equalised, and it was again Toal from a set piece. He towered above the Longford defenders again, but his header bounced just left of Steacy’s goal.
Longford looked dangerous on the break throughout the game, and they doubled their lead 71 minutes in. They broke again on the counter, and Grimes was brought down, with a seemingly free path to goal, however Will Patching only received a yellow for the foul. Aodh Dervin hit the resulting free kick, and his dipping effort was palmed straight into Joe Gorman’s path by Gartside, who made no mistake in burying the ball to the net from close range to give them a two-goal cushion.
Two minutes later, Aodh Dervin almost made it three. He hit another spectacular free kick, with the ball rattling back off the crossbar from near 30 yards out.
Derry threw the kitchen sink at the game in the final 10 minutes, resorting to route one football, in search of a goal, but the Longford defence stood tall to guarantee them a clean sheet, all three points and a top of the table spot, after the first round of fixtures.
Longford Town: Lee Stacey; Karl Chambers (Joe Manley, 73), Aaron O’Driscoll, Joe Gorman, Paddy Kirk; Dylan Grimes, Dean Zambra, Aodh Dervin, Aaron Bolger (Aaron Dobbs, 84), Dean Byrne (Callum Thompson, 63); Rob Manley (Aaron Robinson, 84). Unused subs: Michael Kelly (gk), Shane Elworthy, Sam Verdon, Aaron McNally, Conor Davis.
Booked: Callum Thompson (81), Aodh Dervin (93).
Derry City: Nathan Gartside; Darren Cole (Danny Lupano H/T) Eoin Toal, Ciaran Coll, Danny Lafferty; Will Fitzgerald (Caolan McLaughlin 79), Cameron McJannett (Joe Thomson, 81), Ciaron Harkin, Will Patching, James Akintunde (Jack Malone, H/T); David Parkhouse. Unused subs: Jack Lemoignan (gk), Ronan Boyce, Patrick Ferry, Brendan Barr, Michael Glynn.
Booked: Will Patching (70), Jack Malone (73).
Referee: Adriano Reale.
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Rob Manley (Longford Town)
