Longford Town announce two re-signings and one new arrival

Longford Town have today announced that the duo of Dean Zambra and Peter Hopkins have re-signed for the club for the 2018 First Division campaign alongside new signing Michael Kelly from fellow First Division club Cabinteely.

Neale Fenn has been busy in his off-season acquisitions with Daniel O’Reilly, Karl Chambers, Jack Brady and Alan Kehoe all signing up already before this announcement from the club.

Having made 35 appearances, in which he bagged himself 2 goals, during last season’s 5^th place finish in the First Division, Dean Zambra has committed to the Longford Town cause for the 2018 campaign.

Zambra was Longford Town’s most regular fixture in the starting eleven last season, surpassing the Club’s Player of the Year Daniel O’Reilly by 5 games. Being one of the more senior members of the squad, he often set the tone in games with many young guns around him in the side.

Former Sheriff YC man Peter Hopkins has been confirmed as the 6^th man staying on from last season’s group for the 2018 season in waiting.

Having made a short cameo in the 2-0 away defeat to Cobh Ramblers in August, the 22-year-old wide player burst onto the scene at the City Calling with a fantastic display against Sligo Rovers in the FAI Cup 1^st Round, scoring one goal in a memorable 4-2 victory for “De Town”.

Hopkins went on to make 4 more appearances for Neale Fenn’s side, helping “The Midlander’s” to a mid-table finish by virtue of goal difference over Cabinteely.

As well as announcing the re-signings of Zambra and Hopkins, Longford Town have also unveiled their first new recruit in the form of Michael Kelly.

Kelly, who is a 21-year-old goalkeeper by trade, joins up with Longford Town having been a permanent fixture of Pat Devlin’s record-breaking side of Cabinteely during the 2017 campaign, making 25 league appearances for Cabo while only conceding 29 goals between the sticks.

Prior to his stint at Cabinteely, Kelly was a member of the Shamrock Rovers B side that competed in the First Division during the 2014 campaign, playing as second fiddle to now Peterborough United and former St. Pats shot-stopper Conor O’Malley.