Longford Town 1 Shamrock Rovers 2:TWO SECOND-half errors proved costly for Longford Town as Shamrock Rovers advanced to the quarter-finals.
After dominating the first half Town fell behind nine minutes after the break as Rovers broke the deadlock and it was totally against the run of play. Neale Fenn’s effort came off the crossbar, Gary Twigg hooked it back and Town defender Chris Deans headed into his own net.
They doubled their advantage in the 71st minute when Billy Dennehy’s free-kick from the edge of the box slipped through the hands of Town goalkeeper Aaron Shanahan.
Town didn’t give up the fight and pulled a goal back in the 79th minute when John Lester found some room in a crowded box to get on the end of Mark Salmon’s cross and toe-poke it home.
Rovers were unconvincing as their First Division rivals really put it up to their illustrious opponents.
Town held their own in the opening period and had several chances on goal. In the 20th minute a corner from the left was swung in by Aidan Roche but his older brother Lee’s header just went inches wide.
In the 34th minute Town had calls for a penalty turned down after Hynes’s 25-yard shot appeared to hit the arm of Aiden Price.
LONGFORD TOWN: Shanahan, O’Reilly, Lester, Deans, Lee, Freeman (Brady, 76 mins), Salmon, Hyland, A Roche (Cronin, 86 mins), Hynes, L Roche (Oladele, 73 mins).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus, Chambers, Sives, Price, Stevens, Kavanagh, Bayly (Rice, 68 mins), Turner (Bradley, 60 mins), Dennehy, Twigg, Fenn (McGuinness, 76 mins).
Referee: R Winters (Dublin).
