Longford Town up to sixth after Bohemians win

Longford Town 2 Bohemians 1

There was late drama at the City Calling Stadium as substitute Ayman Ben Mohamed got Longford Town back to winning ways with an 88th minute strike against Bohemians.

The winger, who scored the only goal in the midlanders’ last win at Bray Wanderers early last month, drilled low to the net after a shot from David O’Sullivan deflected to him in the box.

The victory lifts Tony Cousins’ side back up to sixth place in the table.

Stung by two successive defeats, Longford needed a positive start and they got it when taking the lead from their first incisive attack after just three minutes.

Captain Mark Salmon was alive to the run of O’Sullivan to play a perfectly weighted pass through for him.

O’Sullivan, who’s found goals hard to come by in the top flight after topscoring in the First Division in the last two years, showed admirable composure to slide the ball under the advancing Dean Delany to the net for his fourth goal of the league season.

It might have been 2-0 on 14 minutes but for a fine reaction save from Delaney who got both hands to the ball and push Gary Shaw’s bullet header from new signing Jack Doherty’s corner over the bar.

Shaw really should have done better four minutes later instead of contriving to shave the bar with a volley from just eight yards.

Bohemians overcame their sluggish start to enjoy a good spell of pressure midway through the half in which they might have drawn level but for a terrific save from Paul Skinner on 38 minutes.

Longford didn’t deal with Anto Murphy’s long throw from the left and Skinner showed his reflexes to push Robbie Creevy’s close-range header over the bar.

Having survived that, Longford finished the half on the front foot with Stephen Rice bringing another fine tip-over save from Delany from another excellent delivery from a corner by Doherty.

Delany was then promptly off his line in the final minute of the half to save with his feet after O’Sullivan got through one-on-one.

Bohemians fought right back into the game in the second half with Ismahil Akinade guilty of two poor misses before they equalised on the hour.

Akinade got in behind to knock the ball past Skinner and Keith Buckley followed in to tap the ball over the line.

Longford Town: Skinner; Sullivan, Gorman, Rossiter (Tyrell, 26), Powell; Salmon (Shannon, 74), O'Connor, Rice, Doherty (Ben Mohamed, 56); O'Sullivan, Shaw.

Bohemians: Delany; A. Murphy, Prendergast, Mulcahy Fitzgerald (Best, 67); Kavanagh, Lopes, Creevy (Dillon, 86), Evans (Moore, 58); Buckley; Akinade.

Referee: Rob Rogers (Dublin).