Longford Town 0-2 Dundalk
Goals from Daryl Horgan and John Mountney moved Dundalk seven points clear of the chasing pack as they overcame Longford Town at City Calling Stadium.
Horgan curled a brilliant effort past Paul Skinner in the 57th minute to give Stephen Kenny’s side the lead, before Mountney sealed their tenth win of the season in stoppage-time.
Tony Cousins made two changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Derry City seven days earlier, Martin Deady and Pat Sullivan were restored to the starting XI. Conor Powell was absent from the match-day squad with Mark Salmon dropping to the bench.
For Dundalk, fresh from their 8-1 win over Bray Wanderers on Bank Holiday Monday, it was a case of as you were; Kenny named the same 10 outfield players for the seventh league game on the trot.
Man of the moment, Richie Towell, made his 100th start for the Lilywhites.
The home side came into the game looking to record their first home win of the season and they got off to an encouraging start.
Just three minutes had elapsed when Kevin O’Connor forced a save from Gary Rogers after a neat lay-off by Gary Shaw.
The Dundalk goalkeeper then had to be quick to snuff out a dangerous Pat Sullivan cross after the veteran defender had left Chris Shields for dead with a nutmeg on the right of the penalty area.
From then on it was the champions who asked all the questions. David McMillan headed wide from a Dane Massey cross in the eighth minute.
Four minutes later Ronan Finn delayed pulling the trigger inside the penalty area and the chance passed him by.
McMillan enjoyed an entertaining duel with former team mate Mark Rossiter and the Dundalk number nine showed good strength to hold off the Longford centre-back in the 16th minute to get a shot at goal. Skinner was equal to that task and he showed good hands again just a minute later, beating away Daryl Horgan’s fizzing effort.
Towell saw a couple of opportunities go off target as Dundalk continued to press before turning creator in the 39th minute, laying a delicious pass into the path of Horgan on the left but the winger’s deflected cross flashed across the face of goal and drifted wide.
Chris Shields then managed to pick out McMillan, loitering between the Longford centre backs, but his header lacked power and referee Paul Tuite brought the first half to a close shortly after.
The hosts opened the second half in similar fashion to the first. Tuite produced the first yellow card of the night after Brian Gartland halted Shaw’s promising run approaching the penalty area.
Dundalk displayed their quality just short of the hour mark when they took the lead in spectacular fashion.
Horgan, who started the move on the left, found himself in a central position to gather Finn’s pass and curl a sweet 20-yard effort past Skinner off the underside of the bar.
The home side regrouped and they went close to drawing level in the 53rd minute. Aymen Ben Mohamed’s corner from the right fell to David O’Sullivan but Towell was in the right place to hack the ball off the line.
Gartland limped off with an ankle injury in the 74th minute and his replacement, Paddy Barrett, opened up the Longford back four with a raking ball three minutes later, Skinner rushing to block Darren Meenan’s shot. From the resulting corner, McMillan and Massey saw efforts stopped right on the line.
Longford refused to lie down and Shaw headed off target from a Ben Mohamed corner before the Longford centre forward saw a 20-yard drive gathered by Rogers in the 88th minute.
Dundalk put the seal on another three points in stoppage-time when substitute Mountney rattled the net after good approach work by Horgan and Stephen O’Donnell.
LONGFORD TOWN: Paul Skinner; Pat Sullivan, Mark Rossiter, Pat Flynn, Martin Deady; Jamie Mulhall (Don Cowan 71), Stephen Rice, Kevin O’Connor, Ayman Ben Mohamed, David O’Sullivan (Kalem Simon 80), Gary Shaw.
Subs not used: Paul Hunt (GK), William Tyrell, Lorcan Shannon, Mark Salmon, Rhys Gorman.
DUNDALK FC: Gary Rogers; Sean Gannon, Brian Gartland (Paddy Barrett 74), Andy Boyle, Dane Massey; Richie Towell, Chris Shields; Darren Meenan (John Mountney 79), Ronan Finn (Stephen O’Donnell 85), Daryl Horgan; David McMillan.
Subs not used: Gabriel Sava (GK), Kurtis Byrne, Shane Grimes, Jake Kelly.
REFEREE: Paul Tuite.
