Longford Town 1-0 Limerick
Longford Town moved up to sixth position in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division with a 1-0 win over basement side Limerick at City Calling Stadium.
Mark Salmon's strike mid-way through a quiet first half did the damage as Tony Cousin's side claimed their fourth win of the campaign.
Following a low key opening 45 in which both sides struggled to stamp any authority on the game, it was Limerick who had the first look at goal just shy of the 20 minute mark.
Captain Shane Duggan found Darragh Rainsford at the edge of the Longford area before the young winger squared for Sean Russell but his fierce drive from just inside the area was blocked down by Mark Rossiter as it made its way towards Paul Skinner's goal.
The small crowd of 502 which made its way to the Strokestown Road venue had to wait until mid-way through the opening half for the first clear goal-scoring opportunity to come their way.
And when it arrived it was in the form of the game's only goal on 26 minutes.
Pat Sullivan dummied his way around a Limerick tackle before his shot from 25 yards was inadvertently blocked by Mark Salmon, who did well to quickly control the ball and fire past Limerick goalkeeper Tommy Holland, who got the slightest of touches to the low strike.
Gary Shaw headed straight at Holland three minutes before the break as he latched on to the end of an O'Connor cross from the left.
Kaleem Simon had the ball in the Limerick net in injury time at the end of the first half but referee Dave McKeon ruled the strike out as Simon had strayed into an offside position having been teed up by the lively Aymen Ben Mohamed.
Young winger Mohamed went close with two minutes of the second half played.
He ran on to O'Connor's perfectly weighted ball down the Longford left before beating Tommy Whitehead's challenge but was unable to tuck the ball between Holland and his near post with Simon unmarked in the middle.
Holland managed to get a touch to Mohamed's shot a minute later after the winger did well to cut inside before being denied by the Limerick goalkeeper.
The game then became a little more open.
Sean Russell was offered a good opportunity to push the Shannonsiders back into the game on 52 minutes.
Dean Clarke pulled the ball back to the edge of the Town area but Russell, who had wriggled free of his marker, could only sky his side-footed effort.
Shaw should have placed clear daylight between the sides on 67.
Kevin O'Connor did well to rob the ball from Paudie O'Connor before finding Shaw at the front post who could only send his header wide.
Town's Salmon volleyed over on 72 while at the other end, Skinner kept his side in front as he touched Limerick substitute Kieran Hanlon's shot around his post three minutes later.
Clarke misjudged his jump and was unable to connect with Russell's searching cross from the left with three minutes to go as the Munster men continued on their search for a leveller.
Martin Russell's side were afforded one final chance to rescue the game in the third minute of injury time but O'Conor wastefully headed over from six yards.
Longford Town: Paul Skinner; Martin Deady, Pat Sullivan, Rhys Gorman, Mark Rossiter; Ayman Ben Mohamed, Kevin O'Connor, Stephen Rice, Mark Salmon; Kaleem Simon (for Conor Powell 90), Gary Shaw.
Subs not used: Paul Hunt, James Mullhall, William Tyrell, Lorcan Shannon, Connor Dunne.
Limerick: Tommy Holland; Ian Turner (for Sean McSweeney 78), Paudie O'Connor, Tommy Whitehead, Robbie Williams; Sean Russell, Shane Tracy, Shane Duggan, Paul O'Conor, Darragh Rainsford (for Kieran Hanlon 72), Dean Clarke.
Subs not used: Vinny Faherty, Aidan Price, Shane Costelloe, Ross Mann, Val Feeney.
Referee: David McKeon.
