National League Cup final/ Longford Town 2; Bohemians 1: Their manager Alan Mathews reiterated in the match programme his Longford side would only become a "cup team" if they were to make a habit of winning such competitions. "So far we've only won one," said Mathews.
Goals early and late in either half from Seán Dillon and Seán Prunty will have Mathews perhaps agreeing to the suggestion he has indeed built a decent cup-winning team, as the bulk of the 4,000 crowd at Flancare Park last night would readily agree.
Having lost last year's final to St Patrick's Athletic when their captain Barry Ferguson missed a late penalty, Longford took full advantage of an early initiative to take the lead after four minutes.
A sluggish Bohemians contributed greatly to the concession of the goal. A throw from Longford right-back Alan Murphy was loosely headed clear by James Keddy. The ball broke kindly for Longford midfielder Vinny Perth whose 40-yard, cross-field ball found the advancing Dillon.
With the Bohemians defence standing off him, Dillon surged forward, cut inside onto his right foot to drill a low shot from 20 yards to beat Matt Gregg.
The Bohemians defence still hadn't tuned into the match when Alan Kirby collected another ball from Perth to carve them open 10 minutes later. Ghosting past Colin Hawkins, Thomas Heary and then Keddy, all Kirby's good work counted for nothing as he scuffed his shot wide.
Some suspect defending at the other end two minutes later almost let Bohemians back into the match. Dillon's poor header fell for Hawkins whose shot was blocked by Graham Gartland.
Longford sliced through the Bohemians' rearguard 10 minutes later. A delightful flick from strike partner Eric Lavine put Dessie Baker in on goal but his shot was straight at the goalkeeper who parried it away.
Bohemians ought to have been level on the half hour from their only clear-cut chance of the first half. Glen Crowe lost his marker to get on the end of Bobby Ryan's cross from the right. The contact wasn't as full as he would have wanted and Michael Dempsey, an FAI Cup winner with Bohemians 11 years ago, made his first save of the night with this feet.
A hesitant Hawkins presented Baker with a half-chance to double Longford's lead four minutes before the break. Kirby dinked Murphy's pass into the area, Hawkins dithered but Baker's flicked header went wide.
There was more purpose about Bohemians from the resumption and they created chances through Keddy and Ryan before a rather ponderous Glen Crowe, looking suspiciously offside, missed an open goal on 57 minutes. Substitute Damien Lynch then dived to head wide from Ryan's free-kick nine minutes later.
Only a good save from Dempsey prevented Crowe from redeeming his miss; the goalkeeper stretching to clasp the header from Ryan's delivery.
It was scarcely surprising that a mistake led to Bohemians' conceding what proved the winning goal on 81 minutes. Hawkins' pass to Stephen Rice never got there as substitute Prunty stole in to sidefoot confidently past Gregg.
Ryan provided a grandstand finish when scoring for Bohemians four minutes later, pouncing on a ricochet off Dillon to fire home.
LONGFORD TOWN: Dempsey; Murphy, Ferguson, Gartland, Dillon; Kirby (Martin, 90 mins.), Fitzgerald, Perth, Barrett (Prunty, 62 mins.); Baker, Lavine (Keegan, 77 mins.)
BOHEMIANS: Gregg; Rice (Bracken, 81 mins.), Hawkins, Heary, Keddy; Ryan, Hunt, Caffrey, (Lynch, 65 mins.), Morrison; Foley (Ward, 57 mins.), Crowe.
Referee: Pat Whelan (Dublin).
• Seán Connolly, the former general secretary of the FAI, has been appointed chief executive of Dundalk it was announced last night.
