Longford leave it late

By Aidan Fitzmaurice

Longford Town FC have confirmed their status as the cup kings of Irish football by lifting the FAI Cup for the second year in a row, guaranteeing European football for the team again.

European quest
Longford beat Waterford United FC 2-1 in the final at Lansdowne Road in front of almost 10,000 fans on Sunday to continue their unlikely trend of cup success, following on from their League Cup triumph. Prior to last season, Longford had not won a trophy in their 20 years in senior football but manager Alan Mathews can now prepare for another crack at the UEFA Cup.

Late rally
Some unlikely heroes emerged as they came from behind against Waterford - Alan Kirby scored only his second goal of the season to equalise, and with four minutes left striker Paul Keegan scored his first for the club. "It was Roy of the Rovers stuff, me not scoring all season and then coming off the bench to score the winner in the cup final" said Keegan.

Cork close in
In the league, Cork City FC have embarked on an amazing late run which sees them challenging for the title - having won seven consecutive league games they sit only four points behind leaders Shelbourne FC with four matches remaining. The meeting between Shels and Cork tonight in Dublin will have a significant bearing on the outcome of the championship.

Dolan stays
Only two months ago, there was speculation that Cork manager Pat Dolan was about to leave. But talk of unrest in the dressing room receded, and Dolan has since been offered a two-year contract extension.

Drogheda slump
Stuttering Bohemian FC and Drogheda United FC look set to fight it out for third place and a slot in the UEFA Intertoto Cup. Bohs ended a 14-game unbeaten run when they went down 1-0 at home to Derry City FC last week, while Drogheda's brilliant mid-season form has tailed off.

Struggling Shamrock
Shamrock Rovers FC's troubles continue as they have gone eleven games without a win. Were it not for Dublin City FC’s worse form, Rovers would be under serious threat of relegation. Ireland's top division will expand from ten to 12 clubs for the 2005/06 season, so only one club will be relegated while three will be promoted during the next campaign.