Longford Town 2-3 Derry City
A quick-fire brace of goals from Rory Patterson broke Longford Town hearts at City Calling Stadium as Derry City came behind to win a five-goal thriller.
The victory moves Derry up to third place in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division table and edges Kenny Shiels’ side to within touching distance of securing a Europa League place next next.
Longford remain six points adrift at the foot of the table.
Christian Castells came into Derry’s three-man defence for only his second start of the season in their one change from Tuesday’s Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup semi-final replay defeat to Dundalk.
With Eddie Dsane suspended, David O’Sullivan led Longford’s attack with Kaleem Simon coming into their midfield as Kealan Dillon dropped to the bench.
And it was O’Sullivan, who turned 29 during the week, who delivered the first note of the game with the lead goal after 12 minutes.
Don Cowan was the architect when outwitting Derry’s teenage left wing-back Ben Doherty on the right. O’Sullivan timed his run onto the low cross to perfection to turn the ball past keeper Ger Doherty.
Derry reposed positively with Doherty showing his attacking ability to get to the end line to pull the ball back for Patterson whose shot was deflected for a corner.
Longford failed to clear the ball into their area with Conor McCormack having a shot that was deflected out for a second corner on the far side.
Patterson then had a second sight of goal on 23 minutes minutes, but drilled his shot on the turn wide from McCormack’s through pass.
Longford remained well in the game, though, with Cowan’s tenacity and pace causing Derry problems down the right flank.
And it was from a Cowan cross on 32 minutes that Longford appeals for a penalty fell on deaf ears as Dean Jarvis certainly appeared to handle the ball.
O’Sullivan then had a shot blocked while Peter McGlynn worked Doherty with a low drive before Derry went up the other end to equalise on 38 minutes.
A cross in from the left by Ronan Curtis was merely deflected by defender Pat Flynn in to the path of Barry McNamee who fired low to the net for a composed finish.
In an open game, Longford should have restored their lead within two minutes, but Doherty did well to save with his feet from O’Sullivan who had been played through one-on-one
Derry dominated from the resumption, Longford regained the lead on 63 minutes when winning a penalty.
Derry’s Danish defender Niclas Vemmelund tripped Kaleem Simon inside the area and Sullivan sent Doherty the wrong way from the spot.
But Derry turned the game on its head inside a two-minute spell late on.
Patterson levelled on 76 minutes following a goalmouth scramble before he latched onto substitute Josh Daniels’ through ball to drill home the winner.
Longford Town: Ryan Coulter; Jamie Mulhall (Noel Haverty 86), Pat Flynn, Yann Mvita, Conor Powell; Peter McGlynn (Kealan Dillon 82), Kevin O’Connor, Philip Gannon, Kaleem Simon; Don Cowan, David O’Sullivan.
Derry City: Ger Doherty; Niclas Vemmelund, Cristian Castells, Dean Jarvis; Harry Monaghan, Conor McCormack (Nathan Boyle 69), Aaron McEneff, Barry McNamee (Keith Ward, 89), Ben Doherty (Josh Daniels 69); Rory Patterson; Ronan Curtis.
Referee: Sean Grant (Wexford).
