Longford Town 5-0 Shamrock Rovers B
Longford Town ended a seven-year absence from the top table of Irish football as they captured the SSE Airtricity League First Division title with a 5-0 win over Shamrock Rovers B at City Calling Stadium.
Braces apiece from Gary Shaw and Don Cowan were followed by a strike from David O'Sullivan as the Midlanders landed their first ever league crown.
The home side knew three points would be enough to secure the silverware and set the tone early on as they grabbed the lead in the fifth minute.
Shaw beat his marker to the ball as he latched on to the end of a Rhys Gorman corner from the right to hand the Midlanders a dream lead.
Lorcan Shannon should have done better on eight minutes after he ghosted in behind the Hoops defence but Tony Cousins' side continued to assert pressure and were afforded another chance on 18 when Shannon slipped David O'Sullivan through on goal. The Town striker denied by a good save low down from O'Malley.
The goalkeeper couldn't repeat his heroics from the resulting corner however. Gorman's set piece proved too hot to handle for the young netminder, who spilled the ball on to the foot of the grateful Cowan, who was left with the simplest of tasks as he tapped into an empty net.
Longford compounded further pain upon a naive Rovers side on 26 minutes as Shaw netted his second. Stephen Rice's initial effort was blocked down by a Hoops defender but Shaw had the awareness and the ability to wrap his foot around the rebound to send the ball inside the far post for a comfortable 3-0 half-time lead.
The second half was only two minutes old when Cowan netted his second Town marched into a 4-0 lead. The former Rovers youth finishing from close range at the second attempt after Tom Morris's dangerous cross.
Colin Hawkins' side produced their first chance of note on 55. Jack Watson's through-ball was skilfully controlled by striker Chris Lyons, but his resulting shot from outside the area drifted harmlessly wide of Paul Hunt's goalmouth.
O'Malley produced two decent saves shortly after but could do little about O'Sullivan's close-range header on 62 following Cowan's neat chip into the six yard box, which made it 5-0.
Rovers substitute Dylan Kavanagh almost grabbed a consolation ten minutes from time, but he failed to get the necessary trajectory on his effort as he tried to chip the ball over O'Malley.
The impressive Shannon skied his header over the bar from an O'Sullivan cross after he roamed unmarked to the back post four minutes from time.
This mattered little, however, to the 2,200 in attendance as the hosts captured their first ever league title on home soil on the 90th anniversary of the club's existence.
Longford Town: Paul Hunt, Stephen Rice, Gary Shaw (for Peter Hynes 70), Kevin O'Connor (for Mark Salmon 53), David O'Sullivan, Jamie Mulhall, Don Cowan (for Noel Haverty 70), Pat Flynn, Lorcan Shannon, Rhys Gorman, Tom Morris.
Shamrock Rovers B: Conor O'Malley, Michael Kelly (for Gavin Boyle 78), Sean Heaney, Jack Watson, Maxime Veuielle, Evan Osam, Conor Dunne, Chris Lyons, Daniel Purdy (for Dylan Kavanagh 66), Mark Sandford (for Adam Whelan 66), Cian Kavanagh.
