Longford Town 0-2 Finn Harps
Josh Mailey and Tony McNamee scored their first league goals of the season to bring Finn Harps their first away win of the Premier Division campaign at the City Calling Stadium.
It also gave Ollie Horgan’s side first back-to-back league victories of the season to push them 12 points clear of Longford who remain in real trouble, rooted to the bottom of the table.
Longford, with four changes from their scoreless draw at Bray Wanderers last time out, started the better with Mark Hughes shooting wide on six minutes after Harps failed to properly clear a Kealan Dillon corner.
Terrific defending from Damien McNulty then almost certainly prevented Town taking a 14th minute lead. Peter McGlynn’s pull back from the end line went through the legs of Barry Molloy to set up Philip Gannon. His goal bound shot was superbly blocked by McNulty.
Just as Town looked to have a strong foothold in the game, Harps stung the home side to take the lead against the run of play.
Ethan Boyle nodded the ball back into the Town area following a corner and defender Mailey, on his first start of the season following injury, beat Paul Skinner with a looping volley off his right foot.
Though Longford continued to enjoy more of the ball, Harps always looked dangerous when they got forward.
Skinner had to be promptly off his line to save at the feet of a hesitant Sean Houston, who’d been played in by McNamee, to prevent Harps doubling their lead on 33 minutes.
Back at the other end two minutes later, Town troubled Harps from another Dillon corner that was headed over the bar by David O’Sullivan.
In a slow burner of a second half, Town had Skinner to thanks again for the save of the night on 52 minutes.
Houston won the ball to surge forward and play McNamee through one-on-one. As in the first half, Skinner was alert to the danger, racing off his line to again save with his feet.
Gannon then had to do some defending for Town just past the hour mark, clearing off the line from Mailey’s looping header following McNamee’s corner.
Harps remained the more composed side and duly got their second goal on 74 minutes.
A poor clearance dropped into the path of McNamee who drilled low to the net for a fine finish.
Town rallied late on with Gannon rattling the crossbar before O’Sullivan’s follow-up was bravely cleared by McNulty.
Longford Town: Paul Skinner; Kealan Dillon, Rhys Gorman, Conor Powell, Daniel O’Reilly; Kevin O’Connor, Philip Gannon (Don Cowan 72), Mark Hughes, Peter McGlynn (Kaleem Simon 79); David O’Sullivan, Lee Duffy (Josh O’Hanlon 60).
Finn Harps: Richard Brush; Josh Mailey, Damien McNulty, Keith Cowan; Ethan Boyle, Barry Molloy, Gareth Harkin (Raymond Foy 16), Tony McNamee (Michael Funston 82), Ciaran Coll; Sean Houston, Ryan Curran (Liam Flatley 89).
Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).
