Longford 0
Finn Harps 0
Deniese O’Flaherty reports from Bishopsgate
LONGFORD TOWN ENDED a run of three straight defeats when they held Finn Harps to a scoreless draw in a poor encounter that was extremely scrappy at times.
For all their possession and play Harps should have got more out of this game but credit to the Town defence and keeper Mick Kelly who thwarted the Donegal side on a number of occasions.
Ten minutes had gone when the home side created the opening chance; Dylan Grimes played the ball to Sam Verdon but his low shot went inches wide, with Harps keeper Mark McGinley beaten.
The game became scrappy but in the 26th minute Harps carved out an opportunity to open the scoring; Barry McNamee played in his brother Tony and he in turn crossed for Sean Boyd but the former Town player directed his header over the bar.
Harps enjoyed the majority of the possession and in the 29th minute Town keeper Mick Kelly brought off an excellent save to deny Boyd from close range and Tony McNamee blasted the rebound over.
Kelly was called into action in the early minutes of the second half saving Ethan Boyle’s effort as the visitors pressed hard to break the deadlock.
Verdon wasted an opportunity blasted over in the 53rd minute, but the home side offered very little and the Harps keeper McGinley was rarely called into action.
On 75 minutes Barry McNamee’s free was punched away by the Town netminder, it fell to Ryan Shanley on the edge of the box but he fired over.
Minutes later Shanley’s low drive was deflected off Aaron Dobbs for a corner as Harps tried to get that opening goal but it didn’t come as the Town held firm.
Longford Town: Mick Kelly; Joe Manley, Aaron O’Driscoll, Joe Gorman, Paddy Kirk; Aaron Robinson, Aodh Dervin; Karl Chambers, Sam Verdon, Dylan Grimes (Conor Davis 79′); Rob Manley (Aaron Dobbs 71′).
Finn Harps: Mark McGinley; Shane McEleney (Stephen Folan 18′), Ethan Boyle (Stephen Doherty 89′), Kosovar Sadiki, Dave Webster; Tony McNamee (Mark Russell 73′), Mark Coyle, Will Seymore, Barry McNamee; Sean Boyd /(Ryan Shanley 73′), Adam Foley.
Referee: Derek Tomney (Dublin)
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