Strikers pounce for vital victory

St Patrick's Athletic...0  Longford Town...2 Strikers Sean Francis and Eric Lavine finally hit it off as they both scored to earn Longford Town a vital win - their first in three months - against St Patrick's Athletic at Richmond Park last night.

Francis added to his first goal for the club on Tuesday night (at Shelbourne) to open the scoring on 17 minutes with Barbados international Lavine hitting the second just before the hour mark - his first goal since September 28th.

A win over Cork City on Monday in their back match may be enough to secure Longford's Premier Division status.

St Patrick's, who go below Longford on goal difference, face a nail-biting run-in with games against Cork and fellow relegation-threatened Drogheda.

St Patrick's started sluggishly and ought to have been behind sooner than 17 minutes. Unsure of themselves at the back, early errors from Paul Marney and then Colm Foley - who both gave the ball away cheaply - went unpunished.

Their edgy defending gave Longford confidence and they were lucky to survive when Longford captain Vinny Perth shot straight at St Patrick's goalkeeper Shay Kelly from Avery John's cross.

Longford were worth a goal and it duly came as they finally punished St Patrick's poor defending. Brian Byrne waltzed unimpeded across the edge of the St Patrick's area from the left to set up a shooting chance for Alan Kirby. Kelly made an awkward save in only parrying away Kirby's low drive. The ball was retrieved out on the right by Perth whose low cross was turned home at the near post by Francis.

Jolted into action, St Patrick's were better going forward and the chances duly came with Longford goalkeeper Stephen O'Brien the reason why his side retained their lead at the break.

O'Brien made a stunning save from point-blank range to keep out a drive from Kevin Doyle after Paul Osam knocked down skipper Trevor Croly's free-kick and then frustrated the home side when pushing out a Jamie Harris header from Michael Holt's corner on 35 minutes.

Longford then survived a justifiable penalty appeal minutes later when John appeared to pull down Liam Kelly as he raced through on goal, but Cork referee Anthony Buttimer waved play on. Longford sealed the points when Byrne crossed in the 58th minute, for Lavine to sidefoot home.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Kelly; Croly, Colm Foley, Harris, Marney (McCarthy 60 mins.); Kelly, Donnelly (McGuinness 69 mins.), Osam, Holt; Bird, Doyle (Russell 76 mins.).

LONGFORD TOWN: O'Brien; Dillon, Ferguson, Silke, John; Kirby, Perth, Sheridan, Byrne (Mulvihill 80 mins.); Francis, Lavine.

Referee: A Buttimer (Cork).