Late Ugbesia winner sees Longford edge seven-goal thriller against Cork City

Joshua Fitzpatrick, Cork City, battles Jake Hough, Longford Town. Pic: Jim Coughlan.

First Division: Cork City 3 (Murphy 28, 72, Fitzpatrick 70) Longford Town 4 (Williams 11 pen, Manuel 45+2, Murtagh 86, Ugbesia 90+2) 

Stefan Ugbesia’s 92nd-minute winner lifted Longford Town to a first victory over Cork City in 11 years after a bonkers seven-goal thriller in front of 1,738 fans at Turner’s Cross.

The Leesiders had gone a club-record eight games without conceding a goal, but Longford unlocked them for four with their aggressive press and some Andy Paraschiv magic.

The winger provided the winning touches with two sublime passes for Daragh Murtagh’s 86th-minute leveller and Ugbesia’s shock winner.

Sixteen-year-old Cillian Murphy appeared to have turned the game around, completing his double for a 3-2 lead, but it wasn’t enough to rescue a laboured City display.

Their nine-game winning streak is snapped, but City still lead the First Division by 17 points from Bray Wanderers. Longford, who trump City after 17 unsuccessful attempts (three draws, 14 losses), move up to fourth.

Conor Brann, who was beaten for the first time in over two months (and 730 minutes of football), shipped goals to a Dean Williams penalty and Pharrell Manuel before being withdrawn at half-time.

The opening exchanges hinged on two penalty appeals; one given and one dismissed.

City had the first claim when Osaze Irhue missed his attempted header and felt the ball land on his outstretched forearm. John Sconnie Walsh waved play on.

Murtagh then robbed the ball from Fiacre Kelleher before having his heels clipped by the retreating Donal O’Connor. Walsh pointed to the spot. Williams opted for the stutter-step penalty approach to deceive Brann before rolling his shot in the opposite direction.

Before City drew breath, Longford could’ve doubled their lead. Williams arrowed a free header over, Jake Hough ripped a low drive off the post, and Manuel blazed a wide-open shot over the bar.

City had a second penalty shout when Ruairí Keating rushed a shot before being cleaned out by Kian Moore. Both players required treatment before the game resumed.

In the 28th minute, City were level. Murphy wonderfully controlled Moore’s sliced clearance as two opponents collided. The teenager swept past a third defender and poked to the far corner before the last man could close him down.

Cillian Murphy of Cork City celebrates after scoring his side's third goal. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

Not for the last time, City coughed up a goal in the second of three added minutes. This was a giveaway as Manuel beat Kelleher to Niall O’Keeffe’s wayward backpass before navigating around the covering defenders for a composed finish.

Trailing 2-1, Brann and O’Keeffe exited at half-time. Back-up keeper David Odumosu made his fourth City appearance, and first of this season, while Charlie Lyons’ return signalled a shift to three at the back.

City seemed to have levelled when Conor Drinan headed Greg Bolger’s corner to the net. The linesman correctly cut the celebrations short, indicating that Mpongo positioned himself in an offside position right in front of Moore.

City took things up a notch as Mpongo’s cross was deflected onto the bar and Bolger blasted over. There were a pair of volleys, with Mpongo denied by Moore’s flying save and Kelleher missing the target.

It all changed in the 70th minute. With nine Longford bodies packed into the box, Murphy rolled the ball back for Josh Fitzpatrick, who jinked from right to left before curling a sensational strike perfectly into the top corner.

Almost exactly 120 seconds later, City were ahead. Drinan’s pullback somehow wasn’t tucked away by Mpongo, but Hough could only stub the ball as far as Murphy, who drilled home.

Odumosu got down to save from Mark Canavan, but Longford equalised out of the blue in the 86th minute. Paraschiv bisected the City defence with a gorgeous ball, which Murtagh turned into the bottom corner.

In the 92nd minute, they found a winner. Paraschiv was again the creator with some neat interplay before chipping a through ball for Ugbesia to control and finish, prompting the Longford bench to empty in celebration.

Meanwhile, Ifunanyachi Achara grabbed a hat-trick as Bray Wanderers leapfrogged UCD into second after hammering the Students six-nil.

Elsewhere, Cobh Ramblers went down two-nil to Athlone Town, a stoppage-time Zak O'Sullivan goal salvaged a point for Wexford after a Sean McGrath goal would win it for Kerry, and TreatyUnited were one-nil winners away at Finn Harps.

CORK CITY: Brann (Odumosu 46); O’Keeffe (Lyons 46), O’Connor, Kelleher, Drinan (Murray 81); Fitzpatrick, Crowley, Bolger, Mpongo; Murphy, Keating.

LONGFORD TOWN: K Moore; Irhue, Omorehiomwan, McCarthy, Hough; Adenekan (Canavan 81), McKenna; Manuel, Murtagh (S Moore 90+3), Paraschiv; Williams (Ugbesia 76).

Referee: JS Walsh (Waterford).