Penalty woe for battling Mervue in second leg

Mervue United 2

(After extra-time, 3-3 on aggregate, Longford Town win 3-0 on penalties).

THE cheers of celebration from the home fans were almost drowned out by the collective sigh of relief by the suits up in Abbotstown on Friday night as Longford Town booked their place in the Premier Division promotion play-off, finally brining Mervue United’s season to an end.

Months of worry about what to do should Mervue qualify to meet the 11th-placed team in the Premier Division were finally brought to an end, closing the door on a sorry, sorry chapter in the FAI – its complete mismanagement of the whole situation leaving a rotten taste in the mouth.

It took a penalty shoot-out to separate the sides, and it was the home team which carried the day, converting all three of their spot-kicks while the visitors missed all three of their efforts, a sad end to a tie that they contributed handsomely too, although they were second-best for much of Friday’s game.

What Friday night’s defeat does mean, however, is that it is now full-steam ahead for Galway FC, the failure of Mervue United to advance to that top-flight play-off removing the last stage on which to grandstand about next season. All energies can, and should, be focussed on building a strong club which can represent the whole of the city and county in the domestic league.

Johnny Glynn certainly did his prospects of becoming manager of the new side no harm at all with the late run of form of Mervue United, and with Don O’Riordan apparently throwing his hat into the ring for the vacant Finn Harps job, Glynn looks the surest bet in town.

As for Friday night, the game had it all – five goals, extra-time, a sending-off, a penalty shoot-out, but ultimately the team that deserved it most got the victory, and it is Longford who advanced to a two-leg promotion play-off with Bray Wanderers, which was due to have taken plkace last night.

We waxed lyrical on these pages last week about the complete football displaying of Mervue United in the first leg, but it was a different story on Friday night as the home side were by far the superior side, and were thoroughly deserving of the win, although they were made battle all the way for it by a Mervue side that just refused to buckle.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.