A Joshua Giurgi brace secured Longford Town their first league win of the season over Kerry FC at Bishopsgate.
The result means that the team from the Kingdom are still winless in their inaugural league campaign writes Tony Ghee.
Longford Town created all the chances in the first half. On four minutes, Giurgi raced in on goal from the right but a poor touch allowed Kerry keeper Wayne Guthrie to collect the ball at the feet of the town striker.
The hosts took the lead in the tenth minute with a superbly worked team goal. Aodh Dervin burst forward from midfield and played a superb ball to Derek Daly. Daly cleverly stepped over the ball and touched it with the back of his right foot into the path of Giurgi, and he drilled a low shot to the back of the Kerry net.
Just before the half-hour mark, striker Darragh Lynch had a 22-yard effort saved by Guthrie.
Town should have doubled their advantage in the opening minute of the second-half when a quickly taken free-kick from Kyle O’Connor caught the Kerry defence napping.
Gary Armstrong could only fire his shot wide of the far post, missing a gilt-edged chance.
On 65-minutes, Longford thought they had scored their second goal. A superb pass from Dervin put Daly clear down the left, whose low cross was fired goalwards by Lynch.
Gary Armstrong finished off the move from close range, only for the flag to be raised for offside.
Kerry’s first shot on target did not come until the 74th minute, Sean McGrath’s long-range effort produced a decent save from town keeper Jack Brady.
Town sealed the victory with a minute remaining through Giurgi’s second goal of the match.
The move was started by substitute Jamal Ibrahim and the other Town substitute Francis Campbell then laid the ball off to Giurgi, and his 30-yard shot nestled in the bottom right corner of the Kerry net.
Longford Town (4-4-2): Brady, Elworthy, Byrne, Hand, O’Connor, Armstrong, Dervin, Serdeniuk, Daly (Ibrahim 88), Giurgi, Lynch (Campbell 66).
Kerry FC (5-4-1): Wayne Guthrie, Williams, O’Connell, Shane Guthrie (McGrath 57), Hannafin, O’Reilly, Gleeson (Amechi 82), Keane (Vasiu 57), Teahan, Gaxha, Kelliher (Kennedy 57).
Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan.
