Shamrock Rovers needed to prove spot on as Longford Town paid a cruel price to bow out of the FAI Cup after a gallant rearguard effort at Tallaght Stadium.
Penalties early and late from John McGovern and substitute Graham Burke ended the First Division strugglers' brave resistance as Rovers laboured into Tuesday’s quarter-final draw.
There was no surprise that Rovers' boss Stephen Bradley made no fewer than nine changes to last Thursday’s Conference League win over FC Ballkani as he freshened up his starting XI ahead of Thursday’s trip to the Azores to meet Santa Clara in their big play-off.
Sitting third bottom of the second tier, Longford came to Tallaght as 30-1 outsiders.
Scarcely surprising then that Rovers owned the ball from the kick off and were ahead from an eighth minute penalty.
It stemmed from a needless push on John McGovern by Town centre-back Oisin Hand with the Rovers striker duly stepping up to send goalkeeper Kian Moore the wrong way from 12 yards.
Though a far from ideal start, Longford responded positively, coming close to an equaliser two minutes later.
Danny Norris and Dean O’Shea combined to put Aaron Doran in on goal down the left. The midfielder’s flick had just too much on it as it sailed over Ed McGinty’s crossbar.
Proving no little threat on the counter, Town soon gave Rovers another scare with Cory O’Sullivan having to get his body in the way to block a drive from Norris.
Having grown in confidence, the visitors then gave their small band of travelling support plenty to cheer when levelling on 25 minutes when Rovers didn’t deal with Town skipper Dean O’Shea’s long throw.
The ball was recycled back by Doran and Pharell Manuel in turn for O’Shea to nod it into the path of Stefan Ugbesia to shoot past McGinty.
Concerted pressure in added time at the end of the half came close to restoring Rovers lead.
Town survived thanks to Sean Moore heading O’Sullivan’s shot off the line with Matthews, who had taken the initial corner, then seeing his follow-up shot shave the crossbar.
Labouring to regain the lead despite continuing to dominate the ball, Bradley made a quadruple substitution just past the hour as Dylan Watts, Burke, Danny Grant and Aaron Greene were introduced in an effort to add much needed invention and spark to their attack.
But it was 15 minutes before they troubled Moore, Watts chipping through for Greene whose header was straight at the Longford goalkeeper.
A Lee Grace header from a Watts corner was scrambled clear while Moore punched away a dangerous cross before Longford were undone in the 84th minute.
Andrew Spain’s elbow made contact with Grant’s ball into the area as referee Alan Patchell pointed to the spot for the second time in the game.
Burke drilled the penalty low and hard to the bottom corner as Moore went the other way.
Shamrock Rovers: Ed McGinty; Adam Matthews, Lee Grace, Cory O’Sullivan; Cian Barrett (Danny Mandroiu 76), Gary O’Neill (Graham Burke 61); Trevor Clarke (Danny Grant 61), Darragh Nugent, Sean Kavanagh (Dylan Watts 61); Michael Noonan, John McGovern (Aaron Greene 61).
Longford Town: Kian Moore; Eric Yoro, Oisin Hand, Andrew Spain, Dean O’Shea; Stefan Ugbesia (James Wade-Slater 66), Pharrell Manuel (Emre Topcu 66), Sean Moore, Aaron Doran (Emmanuel James 90+5), Danny Norris (Dean George 90+5); Daragh Murtagh (Francis Campbell 66).
Referee: Alan Patchell (Dublin).
