Shamrock Rovers 3-2 Longford Town
Maxime Blanchard scored twice as Shamrock Rovers had to battle hard to beat Longford Town in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division at Tallaght Stadium.
Gavin Brennan gave Rovers a sixth-minute lead before Pat Flynn levelled for Longford in the 32nd minute.
Blanchard got his first to restore Rovers’ lead in the 68th minute before adding a second five minutes later.
Kalem Simon got a goal back for Town in the 83rd minute.
The win stretched Rovers’ unbeaten start to the season to 13 games.
But they were made to work desperately hard by Longford who, had they brought their shooting boots, might have taken a point at Tallaght Stadium.
Tony Cousins’ side also had had a big penalty shout at 2-1 down when Blanchard appeared to trip Gary Shaw in the box.
Referee Derek Tomney didn’t give it and Cousins was sent to the stand for his vehement protests.
With the wet surface conducive to the ball being whipped around, Rovers started brightly and were deservedly ahead inside six minutes.
Keith Fahey had an early volley comfortably held by Paul Skinner.
But the Town keeper was beaten following a flowing Hoops move.
Simon Madden and Patrick Cregg worked the ball to Brandon Miele.
The winger’s stinging shot was merely batted away by Skinner. Brennan followed up to smash the rebound into the net.
Longford had come to play as well and, with two up top, carved a good opening in the 20th minute.
Ayman Ben Mohamed’s clever backheel appeared to have David O’Sullivan in on goal but for a superb recovering tackle from Blanchard.
It was a reprieve for Rovers, though, as the sorcery of Ben Mohamed won Longford a corner off Madden which brought a 32nd-minute equaliser.
Skipper Mark Salmon floated the ball in from the left and central defender Flynn found the corner of the net with a glancing header.
Minutes later the visitors might have been ahead. Shaw poked the ball through for Stephen Rice whose rushed shot was wide.
Shaw then wasted a clear chance to give Cousins’ side the lead three minutes before the break.
Having done well to outmuscle Blanchard, Shaw then scuffed his shot wide with only Craig Hyland to beat for a dreadful miss.
With a harsh word or two, you suspect, from boss Pat Fenlon at the break, Rovers were better on the resumption.
Brennan had a shot deflected wide while Miele flashed an effort across goal.
Town then survived three good Rovers breaks in quick succession just past the hour mark.
Firstly, Pat Sullivan did enough to force Cregg into shooting wide. Keith Fahey and Mikey Drennan then had chances before Rovers’ pressure told in the 68th minute.
Slack marking from a Brennan corner saw central defender Blanchard stab home at the back post to restore Rovers’ lead.
Two minutes later Blanchard had a lucky escape as be appeared to trip Shaw in the area.
Within a further three minutes the big Frenchman got his second goal of the game when again left unmarked to head home substitute Marty Waters’ free-kick.
Town didn’t lie down and substitute Kalem Simon shot home from Salmon’s header in the 83rd minute.
But Rovers almost snatched a fourth in stoppage time when Waters shaved a post.
Shamrock Rovers: Craig Hyland; Simon Madden, Conor Kenna, Max Blanchard, Luke Byrne; Brandon Miele (Marty Waters 60), Patrick Cregg, Keith Fahey, Gavin Brennan; Danny North (Gary McCabe 75), Mikey Drennan (Gareth McCaffrey 90+2).
Longford Town: Paul Skinner; Pat Sullivan, Mark Rossiter (Jamie Mulhall h/t), Pat Flynn (Willie Tyrell 73), Martin Deady; Mark Salmon, Kevin O'Connor, Stephen Rice, Ayman Ben Mohamed; Gary Shaw, David O'Sullivan (Kalem Simon 67).
Referee: Derek Tomney (Dublin).
