Clinical Longford show class to shoot down Sheriff’s dream

Longford Town 3 Sheriff YC 1

Two goals in inside as many minutes early in the second half ended non-league Sheriff’s dream as Longford eased into the semi-finals at the City Calling Stadium.

Sheriff were on the back foot from the start with Peter Halpin having to make a smart save with his feet inside four minutes to thwart David O’Sullivan.

Halpin was busy again within nine minutes, doing well to parry from O’Sullivan’s shot on the turn as Longford started brightly.

Stephen Rice shot wide from Lorcan Shannon’s corner, while Kevin O’Connor shaved the bar with another long-range effort before dominant Longford got their deserved lead on 25 minutes.

O’Connor and Gary Shaw produced some clever footwork inside the area, before the latter set up O’Sullivan to shoot home from 15 yards.

Stoppage time

Sheriff had scarcely been in the game before levelling with a sublime strike in first-half stoppage time.

With nothing seemingly on, midfielder Joseph Flood looked up and dipped a 30-yard shot over Longford goalkeeper Paul Hunt for a spectacular goal.

But two goals inside as many minutes from the start of the second half all but ended the game as a contest. Ayman Ben Mohamed restored Longford’s lead less than a minute after the restart, racing through to drill a low shot to the corner of Halpin’s net.

Less than two minutes later, the impressive O’Connor threaded a terrific ball through for the run of Shannon who did well to place his shot from the edge of the area into the corner of the net.