Freeman condemns Longford

St Patrick's Athletic 1 - Longford Town 0An 87th-minute David Freeman goal gave St Patrick's Athletic the first silverware of the domestic season as Longford Town captain Barry Ferguson missed a penalty with literally the last kick to provide a dramatic twist to a thoroughly entertaining League Cup final at Richmond Park.

While taking nothing away from St Patrick's win, the result was harsh on Longford, who still await their first trophy in senior football.

One could only feel sympathy for Ferguson, who planted his spot kick wide of man-of-the-match Chris Adamson's goal after Charles Mbabazi Livingstone had pulled down Eric Lavine four minutes into stoppage time.

In what was a night Ferguson will wish to forget, he was central to the lead-up to the winning goal as he fouled Keith Fahy some 30 yards out. Paul Osam's well-struck left-footed free kick came back off Stephen O'Brien's left-hand post and Freeman was alert to the loose ball to gleefully sidefoot home.

Neither side rested on ceremony, to such a degree we had our first yellow card, for Anthony Murphy of St Patrick's, inside four minutes.

Wide-awake Irish youth international Fahy almost gave the game an early goal with an audacious chip from the halfway line after O'Brien kicked his clearance straight to the St Patrick's midfielder.

Fahy's excellent right foot carved out the second chance of the game on 16 minutes when his cross, flicked with the outside of the right foot, picked out Mbabazi, who headed into the sidenetting when he ought to have scored.

Poor communication in the Longford defence gave St Patrick's their next opportunity, on 25 minutes.

The visitors' rearguard stepped out to play an offside from Adamson's kick-out only for Freeman's perfectly timed run to put him through. His poor cross to pick out Tony Bird, however, was headed back to O'Brien by the retreating Ferguson.

Longford got no change out of the St Patrick's defence in the first half and they suffered a further setback when in-form striker Shane Barrett had to come off with a knock 10 minutes before the interval.

St Patrick's also made an early change, though Eamonn Collins had the luxury of replacing Barry Prenderville with experienced defender Colm Foley, who had surprisingly started on the bench.

With the game having died following its bright opening, Longford picked it up for their first real dominant spell from the resumption.

How Lavine missed the target when heading wide at the back post when it seemed easier to score from Keogh's corner only he knows.

The hardworking Vinny Perth then got in behind the St Patrick's defence to get in a shot over Adamson, though Jamie Harris was there to hack clear off the line.

Lavine and Alan Kirby then had shots cleared by some frantic defending as St Patrick's kept their sheet clean, helped by a point-blank parry save from Adamson from Keogh on 62 minutes after he had stolen the ball from the feet of the just-introduced Paul Osam.

The siege was lifted by the energetic Karim El Khebyr's angled shot taking a deflection off Alan Murphy and forcing O'Brien into a tip-away save. Harris was then off target with a header from a Fahy free kick.

Back at the other end, Adamson rescued St Patrick's again with the save of the night, parrying away from Alan Kirby after the midfielder stealthily moved through onto Lavine's pass, nutmegging Foley before shooting.

That was as good as it was to get for Longford.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Adamson, Quigley (Osam, 60 mins), Prenderville (Foley, 17), Harris, El Khebyr, Fahy, Donnelly, Murphy, Mbabazi, Bird, Freeman (Dunne, 90).

LONGFORD TOWN: O'Brien, Alan Murphy, Ferguson, McGovern, Dillon (Mulvihill, 89); Kirby, Perth, Keogh, Sheridan, Lavine, Barrett (Francis, 35).

Referee: E Barr (Dublin).