Longford Town see off Bray Wanderers in action-packed clash as race for play-off places heats up

SSE Airtricity League of Ireland First Division Longford Town 4 - 2 Bray Wanderers The heroics of Eamonn Deacy Park seemed like a lifetime ago as Longford Town fired four past Bray Wanderers to loosen the Co. Wicklow club's grip on a play-off spot. In an action-packed clash at Bishopsgate, Longford went in 3-1 up at the break before making it 4-1 in the second period. A brief attacking flurry from the Seagulls was survived by the hosts before Endri Mustali netted his second of the night late on but it was no more than a mere consolation. The hosts took an early lead in the seventh minute. A bit of quality from James Bailey saw his very clever pass catch Bray out on the left flank. Jake Hough moved into an acre of space and found Aaron Doran in the penalty area. He took one touch to steady himself before firing off a shot that may have been heading wide but found the net after a deflection off Benjamin Fagbemi. Bray levelled ten minutes later. Andy Paracshiv, scorer of the only goal of the game the last time these sides met in Longford, was guilty of a foul midway inside his own half. Ben McCormack swung in a brilliant delivery and the towering figure of Endri Mustali nodded home. It would all be downhill after that for the Seagulls. On the half hour mark, goalscorer Aaron Doran whipped in a cross from the right. It was headed back across goal and Taylor McCarthy – still hanging around following a set-piece – sent a looping header into the corner of the net. Goal-line clearances featured heavily on the night and the first of those prevented Longford from taking a two-goal lead in the 35th minute. Rian Hogan came out for a cross and failed to claim it. It fell to Paraschiv who calmly and cleverly chipped it over the stranded shot-stopper, but Ifu Achara had read the danger and cleared off the line. Bray should have levelled two minutes before half-time. A Longford attack broke down when the ball struck a Bray man. Longford thought it was a handball and seemed to momentarily stop which allowed McCormack to release Mustali. He squared it to Sammy, but he was denied by Kian Moore. And that miss proved even more costly as Longford extended their lead two minutes later. Hogan's kick-out to Fagbemi saw him hounded by Doran who managed to pinch the ball. He found Dean Williams who slipped it to Bailey. He had an age to pick his spot with the Bray defence at sixes and sevens, and he did not disappoint. Wanderers could have halved the deficit in stoppage time. Mustali had some typical hold-up play before finding McCormack. He chipped in behind for Sammy who tamed it well before drilling goalwards. His effort beat Moore but not Alex O'Brien who blocked it on the line. McCormack was pulling the strings again early in the second half as his chip found Mustali and the striker volleyed narrowly wide. Paul Heffernan was preparing to make a double substitution as Longford made it 4-1. Hough's cross found Stefan Ugbesia almost alone in the penalty area. He controlled the ball and got his strike away only to be denied by Hogan. But Doran dispatched the rebound to give his side a three-goal cushion. Read more Wexford FC's play-off hopes hanging by a thread as Athlone Town take the spoils Despite that, this tie was far from over. A corner on the hour mark saw Mustali left juggling the ball as he tried to get into a shooting position. It would fall to substitute Ajibola Oluwabiyi but he couldn't land his first goal for the club. Oluwabiyi did excellently on the left flank two minutes later and his cross found Achara, but the attacker got his header completely wrong and Longford could breathe a sigh of relief. Another Oluwabiyi cross on 66 minutes saw Achara nod it down, this time to Alain Kizenga and his well-struck effort was deflected on to the post with Moore gratefully diving on to the rebound. Mustali was clean through on goal in the 69th minute. Moore got a touch to his shot with O'Brien – once again – in the right place at the right time to prevent the ball from crossing the line. A superb cross from deep by Jamie Duggan allowed Mustali to head home his second of the evening, but it was Longford's night as the chase for the play-offs got even more interesting. Longford Town: Kian Moore; Alex O'Brien, Cole Omorehiomwan, Taylor McCarthy, Jake Hough; Andy Paraschiv, Sultan Adenekan; Stefan Ugbesia, Aaron Doran, James Bailey; Dean Williams. SUBS: Pharrell Manuel for Ugbesia (64); Dan McKenna for Adenakan (70); Sean Moore for Doran (70); Ronan Dawson for Bailey (82); Fran Campbell for Williams (82). Bray Wanderers: Rian Hogan; Alain Kizenga, Declan Osagie, Benjamin Fagbemi, Dean O'Shea; John Bilili Sesay, Ben McCormack; Ifu Achara, Richard Ferizaj, Tyreik Sammy; Endri Mustali. SUBS: Ajibola Oluwabiyi for Sammy (56); Ethan Cheese for Ferizaj (56); Jamie Ryan for Sesay (56); Ryan Kelly for Achara (67); Jamie Duggan for Fagbemi (67). Referee: Eric Eaton.