Shamrock Rovers 0 Longford Town 2: Longford Town climbed off the bottom of the Premier Division table with victory at at Dalymount Park last night as second-half goals from Stephen Paisley and Dessie Baker ensured their first points of the season.
Longford always had the upper hand and, if it were not for some wayward finishing, would have won by far more as their strikers troubled the ball boys more than Russell Payne in the Rovers' goal. Time and again, they peppered the advertising hoardings behind the Rovers goal with shots as Baker, Andy Myler, John Martin and Shane Barrett all fired wide.
Their only shot on target in the first half was a Barrett effort that was easily saved by Payne. Rovers were not much better as a Paul Caffrey flick on, saved by Stephen O'Brien, was their only real chance.
In the second half, Longford upped the tempo with Martin, Barrett and Baker firing wide before Myler tested Payne.Longford took the lead in the 70th minute when Paisley headed home a Baker corner and Baker wrapped up the points with 13 minutes left with a close-range shot.
Shamrock Rovers: Payne; Wolski, Gavin (Gough, 82), McGuinness, Philips; O'Connor (Mooney, 73), McDonagh, Caffrey, McCourt; Molloy, Feeney (Daniel, 73).
Longford Town: O'Brien; O'Connor, Dillon, Paisley, Prunty; Kirby, Fitzgerald, Martin, Barrett; Myler (Keegan, 82), Baker.
Referee: D Hanney (Dublin).
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