NL Premier Division - Longford Town 1 Shamrock Rovers 5: The Shamrock Rovers goalscoring machine rose into Longford on Saturday night and added a 5-1 league victory to a 6-1 midweek league cup success against the same opposition.
Rovers were gifted an early lead when Longford defender Wes Byrne headed a Billy Woods cross into his own net after only eight minutes. Tony Grant made it 2-0 just 13 minutes later.
However, Longford began to dominate and were rewarded in the 34th minute when Eric Lavine made the most of Vinnie Perth's excellent pass, rounded Rovers' keeper Tony O'Dowd and finished to the empty net.
However, disaster struck for the Midlanders in the 68th minute, when Grant found himself in the clear and delightfully lobbed Stephen O'Brien.
Rovers turned on the style in the closing stages. Billy Woods saw his deflected 79th-minute strike sail past O'Brien and substitute Tony Cousins had the final say when he headed home Jason Colwell's 88th-minute cross.
LONGFORD TOWN: O'Brien, Rose, W Byrne, S Byrne, O'Connor, Spiller, Kelly (Colman half-time), Kirby, Perth, Zeller (Gavin 72 mins), Lavine.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: O'Dowd, Costello (Kenny 88), Cronin, Colwell, Palmer, Deans, Treacy, T Grant, Francis (Cousins 74), Robertson, Woods.
Referee: J O'Neill (Waterford)
