Longford consolidate - November 27, 2000
UCD 0 Longford Town 2
Longford Town again underlined their title credentials yesterday with another impressive win against Dublin opposition. Of the top three or four teams in the Eircom Premier division, the Midlanders are currently the only one consistently winning.
UCD, in contrast, are consistently losing these days and this latest setback sees them slump below Galway United into the relegation play-off place.
Longford got off to the perfect start when Stephen Gavin put them one up with barely a minute on the stopwatch, pouncing on UCD 'keeper Barry Ryan's mis-hit clearance.
Eoin Bennis had the chance to equalise on twenty minutes when Michael O'Byrne - in for the injured Kevin Grogan - played him through, but Stephen O'Brien turned his shot away for a corner.
Five minutes before the break Longford doubled their lead when Shay Zellor spotted Ryan off his line and chipped him from 20 yards.
Longford shut up shop in the second half and it wasn't until the last fifteen minutes that UCD created any real chances - Tony McDonnell heading against the crossbar and Stephen O'Brien saving from Kevin Kilmurray.
UCD: Ryan, McLaughlin, Delaney, McAuley, Mahon, Martyn, Kavanagh, McDonnell, O'Donnell, Bennis, O'Byrne
Subs: Quinn for O'Donnell 45, Kilmurray for McAuley 62, Ryan for Mahon 77
Booked: O'Donnell 16
Longford Town: O'Brien, Kenny, Smith, McNally, W Byrne, Gavin, Kelly, S Byrne, Coyle, O'Connor, Zellor
Subs: Notaro for Wesley Byrne 72, Holt for Gavin 82, Vinny Perth for Coyle 90
Goals: Gavin 1, Zellor 40
Booked: Kelly 51, S Byrne 54, Kenny 71
Referee: E Barr (Waterford)