Robbie Collins, Monaghan goal hero in their Cup replay shock of UCD, struck again for United to see off an out-of-sorts Longford Town who were made to pay for a catalogue of missed first-half chances at Kingspan Century Park.
A win seemed a long way off for the home side as Town gradually
established a dominance of the first half. Darren McKenna’s deft chip from an acute angle dropped onto the top of the net with Monaghan ‘keeper Brendan Kennedy beaten.
The big Longford striker looked odds on to atone in the 31st
minute when he was put through one-on-one with Kennedy thanks to a beautiful ball over the top of the defence by Alan Lynch.
McKenna was too ambitious however and his spectacular lob sailed over the crossbar. Kennedy’s one-handed save denied Iarlaith Davoren in the 34th minute as the Longford pressure increased.
But a minute before the interval it was United who seized a shock lead, Stephen McCrossan taking advantage of a slip by Town defensive midfielder Luke Hardy to find Collins who struck a powerful rising shot from 12 yards past Neil Gallagher.
Two minutes into the second half, some extraordinary goalmouth action saw Kennedy beat away Darren McKenna’s shot and then United defender Ian Malone cleared Davoren’s follow-up drive off the line. The ball then appeared to strike the hand of a Monaghan player when Alan Lynch drove it goalwards but referee Caschera waved away Longford penalty appeals.
Monaghan were a much more impressive attacking force as the second half progressed. Collins saw a snap-shot from a chance ricochet beaten away by an agile Gallagher.
The United centre-forward should have grabbed his second on 61 minutes. Put clear by substitute Dave Scully’s deft flicked header, Collins drew Gallagher from his line but sent his shot a foot past the far post.
Gallagher did well to keep out Paul Whelan’s header from Scully’s 74th minute free kick, and Town were fortunate when United defender Brian Gartland was unable to scramble the loose ball over the line.
Aaron Mooney snuffed out the last chance of a Longford equaliser with an immaculately timed tackle to rob McKenna when the Longford striker burst through on goal in the 86th minute.
MONAGHAN UNITED: Kennedy; Mooney, Malone, Gartland; Williamson, McCrossan (Hand 57), Tierney, Maher, Whelan; Meenan (Scully 57), Collins (Lanigan 79).
LONGFORD TOWN: Gallagher; Garry, Doyle, Frawley, O’Donnell (O’Riordan 73); Hardy, Rushe; Murphy, Lynch (Connolly 69), Davoreen; McKenna.
Referee: D Caschera (Kildare)
