Preview
Right, so we've got Longford Town hosting UCD on 24 October in the First Division, and I'm telling you, this one's got a nice flavour to it. You can smell the braai from here.
Longford Town have been cooking at home. Over their last 20 home games, they've picked up 12 wins, 2 draws and 6 losses, averaging 1.9 points per game and conceding just 1 goal per match. That's a solid record, and it's not just the numbers — they've been unbeaten in their last five matches across all grounds. A 1-0 win over Athlone Town at home on 16 October, a 1-1 draw at UCD on 9 October, a 3-3 draw at Wexford on 2 October, a 2-1 home win over Cork City on 26 September, and a 1-0 away win at Finn Harps on 18 September. Three wins, two draws, no losses. That's the kind of run that makes you sit back with a cold one and feel good. Ee, lekker.
Now look at UCD on the road. Their last 20 away games have produced 7 wins, 5 draws and 8 losses, 1.3 points per game. That's a step below what Longford are doing at home. And their last five matches have been a bit of a rollercoaster — a 5-2 away win at Wexford on 16 October, the 1-1 draw at home to Longford on 9 October, a 4-0 away win at Treaty United on 2 October, but before that they lost 1-3 at home to Bray Wanderers on 25 September and 1-5 away at Cork City on 18 September. Two big wins and two big losses in the space of four weeks. That's not the most consistent of sides on the road, and it keeps me a little wary.
The head-to-head at this venue tells its own story. In the last two meetings at Longford Town's ground, the hosts have won 2-1 and drawn 0-0. UCD have lost one and drawn one at this venue in those two recent encounters. At UCD's ground, the picture is similar — one win for UCD (2-0) and one draw (1-1). These two teams know each other well, and the results tend to be tight. The older meeting from September 2025 at UCD's ground is historical record only, so I'm not reading too much into it.
The counter-argument is real though. UCD have scored 2.4 goals per game in their last five, and in their last 10 matches they've failed to score in only 0 of 10. Their away record shows 1.65 goals scored per game. If they're in that kind of scoring form, they can put pressure on Longford's defence. And the fact that UCD have at least drawn at this ground in one of their two recent meetings means they've got a handle on it. You can't ignore that.
Key Points:
- Longford Town are unbeaten in their last 5 matches (3W 2D 0L) and hold a 12W 2D 6L record in 20 home games
- UCD's away record is 7W 5D 8L in 20 games, with recent form split between big wins and big losses
- At this venue, the last two meetings produced a Longford win (2-1) and a draw (0-0)
- UCD have scored in all of their last 10 matches and 17 of their last 20 away games
- Longford's home defence averages 1 goal conceded per game; UCD's away defence averages 1.6
My pick: Longford Town home win.
