Heartbreak for Mervue with freak late goal

Date Published: 22-Mar-2011

Longford Town 2

Mervue United 1

Mervue United missed out on the chance to go top of the Airtricity League First Division on Saturday night when two late goals saw their impressive start to the season end in Flancare Park.

Johnny Glynn’s side took a first half lead through Mike Tierney’s second goal in as many games, but the home side grabbed an equaliser 11 minutes from time, and then inflicted further heartbreak on the Galway side when snatching a winner in injury time to themselves jump to third in the table.

Mervue came into the game on the back of a win over Salthill Devon, and a draw last week with Cork City, and they looked on course for a second win in three games thanks to a controversial opener from Tierney in the 35th minute.

The home defence failed to properly clear a Mervue ball into the box, and with ‘keeper Stephen Conlon stranded, Mike Tierney smashed a volley goalwards. The ball hit the underside of the crossbar, bounced down and then away from goal, but the assistant referee deemed the ball had crossed the line and the goal was allowed to stand.

Tierney had also scored against Cork, but while he celebrated his double strike, it was a different story for team-mate Ertic Browne as he put through his own net for the second successive game. It his OG which gave Cork the leads last week, and the unfortunate defender put Longford level on Saturday night when he headed Jacques Morley’s corner-kick past Ger Hanely and into his own net.

It was to get worse for Browne, Hanley and Mervue in the second minute of injury time. Chris Deans hit a long ball into the Mervue United box for one of his strikers to get on the end of, but Browne and Hanley appeared to have it covered.

However Hanley misjudged the flight of the ball as Browne left his ‘’keeper to claim possession, and the ball bounced once before flying over the head of the ‘’keeper and into the net for what proved to be the winner.

Neither side were able to impose their will on the game in a scrappy opening period, with both sides having half-chances to open the scoring. Deans headed a Morley corner wide in the 10th minute, while at the other end, Browne failed to get on the end of Mark Ludden’s corner after Conlon called but failed to collect.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.