Longford Town 1-1 Galway United
Longford Town sit five points adrift at the bottom of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division table following a captivating 1-1 draw with Galway United at City Calling Stadium.
Following a scoreless first half, the game burst into life on 53 minutes when Kaleem Simon's superb first time volley from a Noel Haverty cross put the home side into the driving seat.
The lead was to last just under a quarter of an hour as Town's defence switched off to allow Ryan Connolly to pick out Paul Sinnott who levelled the game with a long range effort.
Longford were looking to close a six point gap between themselves and Wexford following the Youths' win over Finn Harps. And it was the Midlanders who were first to threaten during a competitive opening. Don Cowan latching on to Kealan Dillon's through ball, but having muscled away the challenge of Armin Aganovic, the striker was foiled by the arm of the oncoming Conor Winn who knew little about the attempted lob.
Both sides put together some decent patterns of play but were wasteful when chances came along. United skipper Connolly wastefully skied a set piece from a dangerous position at the edge of the Longford area on 20. While Haverty's attempted acrobatic effort from close range at the other end, sailed harmlessly over Winn's goal six minutes later.
Eddie Dsane, who netted on his home debut against Sligo last weekend was next to go close on the half hour as the home side continued to shade proceedings. Yann Mvita nodded Rhys Gorman's set piece towards Winn's back post where Dsane, at full stretch could only find the side netting.
Longford net minder Ryan Coutler remained largely untested for the majority of the first 45 as Galway remained muted in attack. The Bray man was worried just once, as he claimed a Kevin Devaney cross at his front post two minutes from the break.
The former Sligo and Athlone goalkeeper was called into action early in the second half however. Galway's Gary Shanahan making the most of a ricochet which saw the ball loop in front of him, but Coulter was quick off his line to block the winger's effort from ten yards.
Winn produced a smart save to deny a hard working Cowan eight minutes after the restart, but he could do little about Town's opener on 53. Haverty and Peter McGlynn exchanged passes down the Longford right before the former found Simon at the back post who unleashed an unstoppable volley past Winn for his first goal of the season.
Conor Melody almost had Galway level shortly after. Substitute Marc Ludden's throw in caused havoc in the Longford area where possession eventually fell to Melody, but his scuffed effort was cleared off the line by Mvita before Coulter gathered.
Enda Curran nodded Ludden's out-swinging cross over Coulter's crossbar on 64, moments before the Tribesmen levelled the game.
Dsane's clumsy challenge on Devaney saw the away side win a free kick close to the end line. Tony Cousins' side switched off as Connolly, from the resulting free, spotted Sinnott, unmarked 25 yards from goal. The midfielder's first time effort squeezed its way through a host of bodies before nestling in the back of the Longford net.
Buoyed by this, Tommy Dunne's charges almost completed a turnaround just six minutes later. Coulter scrambling to claim Faherty's side footed effort from a Ludden cross. The United substitute making a huge difference to the Galway cause on the left side.
Winn was back in the thick of the action on 75 when was sharp to deflect away Mvita's drive with his feet. The French centre half driving the ball goalward following a recycled Simon corner as an end-to-end second half continued.
Longford could have robbed what would have been a vital three points at the death. O'Sullivan picked out fellow substitute Lee Duffy, but the former Drogheda man could only shoot straight at the grateful Winn in the third minute of added time.
Longford Town: Ryan Coulter; Noel Haverty, Yann Mvita, Rhys Gorman, Conor Powell; Peter McGlynn (Lee Duffy 78), Mark Hughes, Kealan Dillon (Philip Gannon 34), Kaleem Simon; Eddie Dsane (David O'Sullivan 86), Don Cowan.
Galway United: Conor Winn; Colm Horgan, Stephen Folan (Kilian Cantwell 92), Armin Aganovic, Stephen Walsh; Gary Shanahan (Marc Ludden 54), Ryan Connolly, Conor Melody (Enda Curran 59), Paul Sinnott, Kevin Devaney; Vinny Faherty.
Referee: Paul McLaughlin.
