Longford Town crack Cobh to get back on the winning trail

Cobh Ramblers . . . 2    Longford Town . . . 4

The momentum is building for the promotion play-offs with the first leg at Bishopsgate on Wednesday October 26.

At this stage it looks like the opposition will be Galway United who suffered a shock defeat at home to Athlone on Friday night with Waterford now in pole position to finish second in the table.  

As it turned out, Longford’s remaining fixture in the First Division is against Galway at Eamon Deacy Park on Friday October 21 and Gary Cronin’s side could end up playing the westerners twice more in the first series of games in the play-offs.

Longford were unlucky not to take the lead in the match against Cobh when a shot from Jordan Adeyemo hit the post in the 40th minute.

But the deadlock was eventually broken a couple of minutes later when Adeyemo found the back of the net after connecting with a right wing cross from Darren Clarke.

While Cobh got back on level terms when McGrath scored in the 58th minute, the visitors got a second goal in the 65th minute through Mark Hanratty with the opportunity created from a cross from substitute Kian Corbally. 

The Town extended the lead when Hanratty was on target again in the 76th minute but gritty Cobh battled back to close the gap with a goal from O’Connell in the 80th minute. 

Ramblers were reduced to ten men in the 85th minute when Mbayo was sent-off after receiving a second yellow card.

Longford made absolutely certain of collecting all three points when a right wing cross from Karl Chambers was finished to the net by Darren Clarke for goal number four in what was a fine display by the midlanders. 

LONGFORD TOWN: Luke Dennison, Karl Chambers, Mick McDonnell, Matthew Dunne, Ben Lynch, Darren Clarke, Aaron Robinson, Brandon McCann, Mark Hanratty, Joe Power, Jordan Adeyemo.

Subs:- Cristian Magerusan and Kian Corbally for Adeyemo and Power (58 mins); Matthew O’Brien and Adam Verdon for Robinson and McCann (71 mins).