Treaty United make it back-to-back league wins with victory over Longford

TREATY United made it back-to-back wins in the SSE Airtricity League First Division after securing a 3-1 victory over Longford Town at the Markets Field on Friday evening.

However, despite securing their second league win in the space of four days, Tommy Barrett’s charges saw their slim hopes of making the promotion play-offs ended by Wexford’s 2-0 win at home to UCD, putting the last berth out of reach with
just three games remaining.

Academy prospects Michael Dike, Richkov Boevi, and Niko Kozlowski returned to Tommy Barrett’s starting line-up following Monday evening’s impressive 3-0 defeat over Cobh Ramblers.

Meanwhile, second from bottom Longford arrived on Shannonside hoping to make it back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Lee Devitt, who netted a brace against Cobh, came close in the fifth minute when he unleashed a rasping shot that clipped the top of the crossbar on its way over.

Three minutes later Dike was called into action as Ukrainian midfielder Viktor Serdenyuk tested him from a distance but the teenager dealt with it easily.

In the 13th minute, Treaty midfielder Colin Conroy went close as he got on the end of Niko Kozlowki in an in-swinging free-kick. Conroy found himself free at the back post but his header hit the side netting.

Five minutes later, Croatian striker Trpimir Vrljicak flashed his effort wide from just a few yards out. Richkov Boevi then knocked down a corner to the big striker but he drove his effort wide.

The Shannonsiders boasted the bulk of possession and had several further chances through Boevi, Yoyo Mahdy, and Kozlowski.

Eventually, in the 29th minute, Treaty took a deserved lead, coming spectacularly from the boot of Lee Devitt.

Having scored an outrageous chip to open the scoring earlier this week against Cobh, Devitt popped up again with another lob.

Mahdy knocked the ball down to Devitt who scored out of nothing as he chipped Harry Halwax from the corner of the box to net his third goal in two games and his seventh of the season.

Following a quiet wind-down to the opening interval, Longford equalised right on the stroke of halftime.

Treaty failed to deal with a long throw and Emre Topcu volleyed the ball goalward burying his powerful low shot beyond Treaty 'keeper Dike.

Fifteen minutes after the restart the first chance of the half fell to Devitt who tried another audacious chip. Halwax misplaced a pass to the Treaty midfielder who attempted to lob the Longford goalkeeper with a first-time effort but he dragged it narrowly wide.

The Limerick men retook the lead in the 67th minute with Devitt instrumental to the move. Vrljicak played through the in-form midfielder before his volley stung Halwax's palms.

The parried effort fell to youngster Adam O’Halloran who rifled his rebound into the net for his first senior goal.

The Midlanders came close to leveling the game in the 75th minute as yet another long throw was not dealt with by the home defence.

Adam Wixted volleyed the loose ball in nearly identical fashion to Longford’s first, beating Dike but not Oisín O’Reilly who flicked it off the line and out for a corner.

Erick Yoro had a glorious opportunity to equalise in the 85th minute finding himself completely unmarked in the box, but Dike got out quickly to close the angle as Yoro blasted his close-range effort well wide.

Deep into stoppage time, David Tarmey added a third goal for the home side to seal the win. Longford, throwing men forward in search of an equaliser, found themselves exposed as Vrljicak played through Tarmey.  The attacker dispatched coolly to seal a thorough 3-1 victory for the Shannonsiders.

Next up for Tommy Barrett’s Treaty United men is a trip to Leeside to take on arch-rivals and First Division champions Cork City.

Meanwhile, Longford will host their local rivals Athlone town at Bishopsgate.

Treaty United: Michael Dike, Richkov Boevi, Alec Byrne (Steven Healy 22), Colin Conroy, Lee Devitt (Sean Costelloe 90+3), Christy Horgan, Niko Kozlowski (Adam O’Halloran 64), Yoyo Mahdy (David Tarmey 64), Evan O’Connor, Oisin O’Reilly, Trpimir Vrljicak.

Longford Town: Harry Halwax, Erick Yoro, Jamie Egan, Kyle O’Connor, Dean O’Shea, Viktor Serdenyuk, Emre Topcu, Adam Wixted (Shane Elworthy 77), Daniel Norris, Jordan Adeyemo, Karl Chambers (Emmanuel James).

Referee: David Dunne.