Longford Town fell to a fourth consecutive defeat as Galway United struck four second-half goals.
Galway went 13-points clear of Waterford at the top-of-the-table with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Longford at Eamon Deacy Park. Writes Tony Ghee.
A brace from David Hurley and a goal each from Rob Slevin and Conor O’Keeffe sealed victory.
The runaway league leaders dominated the first-half, but the Longford back five kept them at bay with a resolute display. The visitors tried to catch Galway on the break. Despite wave after wave of Galway attacks, town nearly took the lead on 17-minutes with a rare foray into the Galway half.
Cristian Magerusan raced into the box from the right, his low shot from a tight angle, forced a good save from the Tribesmen’s keeper Brendan Clarke.
Three minutes later, the hosts should have found the Longford net. Hurley’s corner was headed onto his own crossbar by Aaron Walsh. The rebound fell to Stephen Walsh, but Jack Brady produced a magnificent point-blank save.
Town centre-back Viktor Serdeniuk came to his side’s rescue on 23 minutes with a superb sliding tackle to dispossess Francely Lomboto who looked, clean through on goal.
On 37-minutes later, more brilliant defending from Walsh kept Galway at bay, this time he superbly blocked a shot from united full-back, Regan Donelon.
Lomboto fired a 16-yard effort narrowly wide of the Longford goal after great work from Maurice Nugent and Conor O’Keeffe.
Three minutes before the break, Galway came close again! Walsh chested down Hurley’s cross, the turn and shot flashed wide of the post.
Second-half goal spree
Galway wrapped up the three points within eight minutes of the restart, as they rattled the Town net twice.
Hurley opened the scoring for Galway on 48 minutes with a 22-yard low crisp shot into the bottom of the net.
Five minutes later, Galway increased their lead when Slevin headed home a McCormack free-kick despite the best efforts of Jack Brady.
Longford had a chance on the hour mark to pull a goal back. However, Joshua Giurgi’s strike just inside the Galway box, sailed over the united bar.
The rampant hosts almost made it three on 73 minutes. O’Keeffe’s heading McCormack’s corner off the crossbar.
Galway added a third two minutes later. O’Keeffe glancing header giving him his first goal for Galway.
Galway rounded up the scoring with a fourth on 82 minutes. Substitute Ronan Manning was tripped inside the box by Gavin O’Brien. Up stepped Hurley to send Brady the wrong way from the penalty spot.
It should have been five deep into injury-time. McCarthy squared the ball to Manning whose 15-yard-shot was superbly saved by Brady. Substitute Rob Manley blazed the rebound over the bar.
The result means Longford Town remain second from bottom of the SSE Airtricty first division.
Galway United (4-1-3-1-1): Clarke (Lomboto 19), O’Keeffe, Nugent, Slevin, Donelon (O’Reilly 79), McCormack (Manning 79), Clarke, Borden (Brouder 57), McCarthy, Hurley, Walsh (Manley 79).
Longford Town (5-4-1): Brady, O’Brien (Adejumobi 90, Serdeniuk, Walsh (James 84), Byrne, Farrell (Priosti 58), Giurgi, Armstrong (Doona 58), Hodanu, Ibrahim, Magerusan (Ikharo 90).
