Drogheda United - 0 Longford Town - 1:National League: Barry Ferguson's penalty just nine minutes from the end was sufficient to secure all three points for Longford Town in a disappointing encounter in Drogheda last night. The home side had been reduced to 10 men on 76 minutes when Stewart Taylor received a straight red card.
Longford were totally dominant in the opening half and should have gone in at the break at least a goal to the good. Darragh Sheridan was narrowly wide with a close range header with just six minutes gone. On the quarter of an hour mark Alan Kirby's left-wing free was headed narrowly over by Tom Silke.
Drogheda looked livelier in the opening stages of the second half. Danny O'Connor's cross was powerfully headed goalwards by Stewart Taylor with goalkeeper Stephen O'Brien making a fine save.
On the hour mark it was Drogheda who threatened once more when Mark Dempsey's free saw Padraic Gollogley fail to direct a free header.
When Taylor was sent off Longford believed they could snatch the victory. On 81 minutes Padraic Gollogley pulled down Eric Levine in the box and Ferguson stepped up to hammer home the spotkick.
DROGHEDA UNITED: Rogers, O'Connor, Cronin, Lynch,, Gollogley, Tierney, Taylor, Smith, O'Brien, Quinless, Dempsey. Subs: Myler, Gallen, Delaney, Todd, Dunne.
LONGFORD TOWN: O'Brien, Murphy, Dillon, Silke, Ferguson, Perth, Kirby, Sheridan, Lavine, Byrne, Crowe. Subs: Mulvihill, Savic, Prunty, Robinson, Dalton.
Referee: A Buttimer (Cork).
