David Moriarty reports on last night’s game at Bishopsgate where Kerry FC faced Longford Town…
David Moriarty reports on last night’s game at Bishopsgate where Kerry FC faced Longford Town…LONGFORD TOWN 0-1 KERRY FC
Kerry FC made the trip to the Midlands on Saturday evening to take on Longford Town in Bishopsgate Stadium. A massive game in the race for the promotion playoffs.
The Kerry FC free supporters’ bus was full for the trip, so the travelling North Terrace were well prepared to back the team from minute one to ninety.
Kerry FC travelled to Bishopsgate Stadium looking to make history, having never previously won in Longford, and Colin Healy’s side began the contest with real purpose.
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The visitors were quickly into their stride and created the first opportunity of the evening in the fourth minute.
A long throw-in from Sean O’Connell found Sean McGrath, who played the ball back to Vince Borden. The American attempted an ambitious trivela effort, but his shot sailed over the crossbar.
Kerry continued to enjoy the better of the early possession. Two minutes later, Cian Bargary tried his luck from outside the penalty area, forcing Kian Moore to get down and claim a low, powerful effort.
The visitors followed that with two corners in quick succession in the tenth minute, although neither caused any serious difficulty for the Longford defence.
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The home side picked up the first booking of the game in the twentieth minute when Alex O’Brien was shown a yellow card. ]
Kerry continued to probe for an opening and came close again in the twenty-fourth minute. Vince Borden delivered an inviting cross towards the back post, where Cian Bargary was arriving, but Longford managed to clear the danger.
Sultan Adenekan was booked a minute later as the hosts continued to come under pressure from a confident Kerry side.
Longford’s attacking opportunities were limited during the opening half, with Matthew Connor comfortably collecting a long-range effort in the thirtieth minute.
Kerry responded almost immediately when Sean McGrath showed excellent footwork before creating space for a left-footed effort from outside the area, which was gathered by Moore.
The closest either side came to breaking the deadlock arrived in the thirty-fourth minute. Cian Bargary drove a low ball across the penalty area and found Cian Murphy, whose touch sent the ball agonisingly onto the post.
Kerry finished the half strongly and should perhaps have gone into the interval ahead. A long throw-in from Samuel Aladesanusi reached Niall Brookwell inside the area, but Moore produced a brilliant save to deny the midfielder.
Despite Kerry’s dominance in possession and several promising opportunities, the sides went in level at the break.
The second half began at a slower pace, although Kerry continued to control possession and search patiently for the breakthrough.
Cian Murphy had an opportunity in the fifty-fifth minute when the ball fell to him inside the area, but he was unable to sort his feet out in time, and Longford cleared.
Two minutes later, Sean O’Connell delivered a superb free kick from the left into a dangerous area, but nobody could apply the crucial finishing touch. Longford’s James Bailey was booked in the fifty-eighth minute before Kerry continued to create openings.
Another excellent delivery into the penalty area followed in the fifty-ninth minute, but Murphy was unable to get on the end of it. The striker then turned provider in the sixty-second minute, playing a good ball into Ryan Perez, whose effort went off target.
Kerry remained the more threatening side. Sean O’Connell’s corner in the sixty-sixth minute found Niall Brookwell, but his header went wide. O’Connell then tried his luck himself five minutes later from a difficult angle, firing over the crossbar.
Longford offered a reminder of their threat in the seventy-second minute when James Bailey’s curled effort drifted narrowly wide of the right-hand post.
The decisive moment arrived in the seventy-sixth minute. Ewan Lee produced a brilliant run down the left before delivering a superb cross into the penalty area.
Cian Murphy timed his run perfectly and rose to head home, sending Kerry FC ahead and sparking celebrations among the travelling support.
Healy immediately made changes to help protect the lead, with Robert Keane and Arran Healy replacing Ryan Perez and Sean McGrath in the seventy-seventhminute. Cian Brosnan later came on for Cian Bargary.
Longford pushed for an equaliser and came close in the eighty-third minute, but Matthew Connor produced a brilliant save to deny Cole Omorehiomwan.
Three minutes of additional time were signalled, but Kerry stood firm to see out a famous victory. Murphy’s header proved the difference as Colin Healy’s side secured all three points and, crucially, their first-ever win in Longford.
A historic night at Bishopsgate Stadium belonged to Kerry FC and their travelling supporters, who celebrated a deserved victory on the road.
Longford Town Team: Kian Moore; Taylor McCarthy, Sultan Adenekan, Stefan Ugbesia, Aaron Doran, Cole Omorehiomwan (RED CARD ‘FT), Dean Williams, James Bailey, Alex O’Brien (C), Jake Hough, Andy Paraschiv.
Subs Used: Pharrell Manuel, Matthew Harris, Francis Campbell.
Kerry FC Team: Matthew Connor; Sean O’Connell, Sean McGrath (C), Cian Murphy (GOAL ‘76), Jonas Häkkinen, Samuel Aladesanusi, Ryan Perez, Vince Borden, Niall Brookwell, Ewan Lee, Cian Bargary.
Subs Used: Arran Healy, Cian Brosnan, Robert Keane
