Longford Town and Kerry FC Secure First Division Play-Off Spots
Played in front of a crowd of 2,236, a first-half goal by James Bailey secured Longford Town a 1-0 win over Athlone Town at Bishopsgate, locking down fifth place in the table and a spot in the play-offs.
Longford Secures Play-Off Spot Against Athlone
The home side took the initiative right from the start of the match. Stefan Ugbesia moved down the endline in the fifth minute and delivered a neat ball across the face of the goal, but no teammate was there to turn it home. Daragh Murtagh tested Athlone goalkeeper Brendan Clarke two minutes later, but the shot was gathered easily. Athlone grew into the match as the half progressed, forcing a save from Longford keeper Kian Moore off a 21st-minute effort by Will Smith.
Longford broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute. Sultan Adenekan delivered a pass to Murtagh, who lobbed the ball over the top of the Athlone defense to allow Bailey to fire past the keeper. Substitute Callum Cleary missed high in the 90th minute, letting Longford preserve the clean sheet.
Kerry Claims Fourth with Draw Against Cork
A 1-1 draw against league champions Cork City was enough for Kerry FC to secure fourth place and punch their ticket to the post-season, rte.ie reported. Ruairi Keating put the Rebels ahead in the 23rd minute before Vincent Russell Borden equalized six minutes later. Neither side found a winner, earning Kerry the point needed to set up a semi-final clash with Bray Wanderers. Longford advances to face UCD.
Meanwhile, Cobh Ramblers missed out on the play-offs following a 2-0 defeat against Treaty United. Dare Kareem opened the scoring in the 67th minute, and Jason Oyenuga added a second in the 89th minute to seal the result. UCD cemented second place in the standings with an emphatic 5-2 victory over Wexford, anchored by a hat-trick from Hugh Smith. Bray Wanderers fell 2-0 to Finn Harps after early goals from Aaron McLaughlin and Bernardo Monteiro.
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