Longford Town swatted aside the challenge of Galway United at Eamonn Deacy Park on Friday night, producing a dominant display to earn a 4-1 victory thanks to a brace each from Jamie Doyle and Dylan McGlade. The win means De Town are still in the cha
Longford Town swatted aside the challenge of Galway United at Eamonn Deacy Park on Friday night, producing a dominant display to earn a 4-1 victory thanks to a brace each from Jamie Doyle and Dylan McGlade.
The win means De Town are still in the chasing pack for a promotion play-off spot, and although there are still some key deciders to come, if they can conjure wins at the right moments between now and the final whistle of the regular season, they might just edge their way back to the top flight.
McGlade, who scored both of his goals after Doyle had laid the foundations in the 15th and 50th minutes, took time out to speak with SSE Airtricity League reporter Trevor Murray after the match.
“I’ve tried to bring goals into my game this season. I’ve never really scored more than maybe four goals before this year, and I think something has just clicked in me”, McGlade said.
With 12 goals to his name this season, the exciting attacking midfielder has been one of Longford’s best players, so it’s no wonder he counts Roy Keane and Zinedine Zidane among his heroes – but he has also been influenced by a figure a little closer to home.
“I’m going to give Conan Byrne a shout-out ‘cause at Pats he was always getting on to me and telling me I need to score more goals – there’s no point in chopping people if you’re not scoring. It’s something that I’ve brought into my game and I’m starting to get a bit more end-product in my game as well.”
United were run ragged by his movement and speed. McGlade regularly swapped wings and enjoyed a fluid role courtesy of his side’s system, with Aodh Dervin and Dean Zambra doing much of the defensive midfield duties.
Although Neale Fenn’s troops were 2-0 up before McGlade’s well-executed strikes, he certainly helped kill all doubt about where the three points would eventually be headed.
“Yeah, they are big goals. I think the only team above us that I’ve not scored against is Drogheda United. I’ve scored two against UCD, I’ve scored three against Finn Harps, two here [at Deacy Park], so I seem to have a knack of popping up with some important goals, but the most important thing was the performance and the boys all across the pitch stood up and we really battled hard.
“We didn’t let ourselves get pushed around either. We’re a bit threadbare at the moment as well so it was really important that we picked up these three points. The pitch here is perfect for what we want to do, so it was a great win and all the boys are absolutely over the moon.”
McGlade admits he was a little surprised at the manner of the comfortable victory – United were bereft of much attacking threat, and made several costly defensive errors to allow De Town gilt-edged opportunities that they refused to pass up.
“I think they played some very good football,” he said.
“We just had a little too much pace up front for them. Jamie Doyle is a big boy and he gets his body around and bullies people. And Darren [Meenan] on the wing has great delivery and he’s very quick, and me on the opposite side wing I’m the same, very quick.
“They created chances, they moved the ball very well in midfield, they have some nice players – Alex Byrne and Ryan Connolly – but I think when we get the ball forward with tempo a lot of teams find it very difficult to play against us, and I think we undid them with some really good play.”
Up next for Longford is a home clash against Cabinteely in the First Division.
