Athlone Home Form Is Growing

Athlone have only lost two of the last ten league games at home and are undefeated in the five home games so far in 2024. They have taken ten of their twelve points in Athlone Town Stadium this season. In a night that saw the main stand in the stadium named after Club President Liam Gaffey, the team rewarded Liam with three points and a good display.

Harps had won every game on the road until now and inflicted the first defeat of the season for Athlone in the first round of fixtures. Athlone have been a mixed bag up to this point but had started to find form at home, so it was set to be an interesting tie. 

Athlone started the brighter of the two teams and the first real chance of the game came after six minutes and fell to the home side who after a really nice passage of play that saw them break down the right wing. They then strung a couple of passes together and moved the ball out to Brian Torre on the left wing who found Carl Mujaguzi unmarked in the area, about eight yards out and his left footed volley was just over the bar.

It was an even contest up to this point and in the 10^th minute from a throw in to Finn Harps just inside the Athlone half of the field caught the Athlone defenders napping and Success Edogun held up the ball well and managed to turn defender German Fuentes where his shot found the side netting.

In the 18^th minute Harps forward Chris Lotefa found himself with a bit of space and was fouled by Dan McKenna in the middle of the pitch about thirty yards from goal, and the resulting free kick from Tony McNamee never really troubled goalkeeper Enda Minogue who was making his 50^th appearance in League of Ireland football.

In the 24^th minute McKenna intercepted a poor touch from Harps midfielder McNamee and set his team on the attack, Mujaguzi moved the ball left and found Candal with time and space who crossed to the back post to Amardo Oakley who’s super pass gave Dean Ebbe the simplest of finishes, heading home from inside the six-yard box and putting The Town 1-0 up.

Athlone were limiting the visitors to shots from distance, none of which gave Enda Minogue too much to worry about. In the 42^nd minute Athlone thought they had gone two in front when Aaron Connolly’s pass found McKenna whose quick feet managed to get free at the edge of the area, and his side footed effort towards the top right hand corner narrowly missed the post, sending the teams in at the break with the home side leading 1-0.

Harps started the second half brightly and could have gone level straight away when from a well worked through down their left had side a cross found the head of Edogun who’s shot was on target and pulled a wonderful save out of Minogue in the Athlone goal.

The visitors found it difficult to break down the Athlone defence and chances were few and far between for Finn Harps. They had a great chance in the 59^th minute when a sloppy pass from McKenna allowed Harps to press and a slip from Fuentes allowed Edogun in one on one with Minogue and his shot was saved again by Minogue who was determined to hold onto his clean sheet.

Athlone could have finally added a second in the 72^nd minute when from a mazey run from substitute Jamar Campion Hinds saw him pull the ball back to Ebbe who on the stretch poked the ball towards goal forcing a point blank save from Tim Hiemer in goal.

Athlone had defended well and in the closing minutes of the game. Finn Harps had a shout for a penalty when their left winger came into the box onto a miss placed header from Fuentes and went to ground in the box looking for the penalty but the referee was confident in waving away any protests from the Harps players.

Athlone held on to the clean sheet and took all three points winning the game 1-0.

Following matchday ten this result moves Athlone to sixth and Harps stay second in the table.

Next up for Athlone is the trip to Mounthawk Park to face Kerry FC.

Athlone Town AFC: Enda Minogue, German Fuentes Rodriguez, Jarlath Jones, Daniel McKenna, Ruben Candal (Gideon Tetteh 75′), Aaron Connolly, Dean Ebbe (Shane Forbes 92′), Carl Mujaguzi (Divine Izekor 92′), Amardo Oakley, Oisin Duffy (C), Brian Torre (Jamar Campion-Hinds 61)’.

Unused Substitutes: Andrew Stuart Trainor, Renei Batloka, Matthew Leal, Roscoe Rubinstein, Brendan Lauder

Bookings: Jones (37′), Torre (53′), Duffy (68′), Rodriguez (94′)

Attendance: 596

AthloneTownAFC.ie Man of The Match: Oisin Duffy

SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division: Athlone Town AFC v Finn Harps

Date: Friday, April 12th 2024
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Venue: Athlone Town Stadium

Finn Harps have started the league campaign the better of the two teams and with the kick-off scheduled for 7.45pm, both teams are looking to start the second round of games well.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of this much-anticipated match.

Finn Harps sit second in the league. They will be looking to keep pressure on Cork City and maintain their 100% away record this season.

Harps have only conceded two goals in their last five games and taken points from all five.

Athlone have had some difficulties in facing Finn Harps in recent years and they will be looking to reverse their fortunes and propel themselves up the table with a victory against the high-flying Harps.

Having conceded ten goals in the last five games, issues at centre back couldn’t have come at a worse time.

Team News
Athlone Town AFC will be without Noah Van Geenen who is still sidelined with an injury. Dylan Hand is suspended for the first game of his three match ban.

Finn Harps have Kevin Jordan and Max Hutchison ruled out to injury and both Stephen Doherty and Tim Hiemer may miss out also.

Past Encounters
Last time out Finn Harps beat Athlone 2-0 and were worthy winners thanks to goals from Stephen Doherty and Success Edogun.

Key Players to Watch
For Athlone Town AFC, Enda Minogue has been an important player for Athlone and his experience would allow you overlook the fact that he is still only 22 years old. Tomorrow will mark his 55th senior appearance in football and he is looking to add to his clean sheet from the last home game against Treaty United.

Finn Harps forward Success Edogun who is well known to Athlone Town fans has developed really well since he left Athlone and will be hoping to his three goals this season.

Referee Team
Referee: Jason Moore
First Assistant Referee: Ciaran O’Reilly
Second Assistant Referee: David Connolly
Fourth Official: Ryan Maher

Mascots
Today’s mascots are identical twins and great-grandsons of club President Liam Gaffey, George and Thomas Powell (both aged 7) from Norwich, UK.

Match Programme

Bray Wanderers 3-0 Athlone Town AFC
Friday 5th April 2024

Athlone Hand Bray Three Points

It Athlone who started the brighter of the two teams and the Seagulls did not have to wait too long to take the lead and it came after a crazy few minutes for the Town.

In the 32nd minute of the game, centre back Dylan Hand was dismissed for an apparent kick out at Grogan and referee Chris Sheehan showed the red card to Hand. From the resulting free-kick Griffin beat Enda Minogue at his near post to find the back of the net for the hosts.

Just four minutes later, Athlone could have been level when Ebbe lifted the ball over the bar from a long ball.
Bray doubled their advantage when Murphy tapped in from close range after Grogan’s acrobatic effort cannoned off the post following Knight’s cross.

Knight played a wonderful pass in behind the Athlone backline who tried to play an offside trap, and Grogan was on hand to slot into the net.

Bray nearly added a fourth with just under 15 minutes left only for captain Oisin Duffy with a goal saving block on the line.

Goalkeeper Minogue was withdrawn due to injury moments before injury time.

Following match day nine this result drops Athlone to seventh and Bray rise to sixth place.

Athlone Town AFC: Enda Minogue (Andrew Trainor 89), Oisin Duffy (Roscoe Rubenstein 89), Dylan Hand, Jarlath Jones, Matthew Leal (Armado Oakley 46), Brian Torre, Aaron Connolly (Gideon Tetteh 77), Daniel McKenna, Carl Mujaguzi, Dean Ebbe, Jamal Ibrahim (Jamar Campion-Hinds 59)

Unused Substitutes: Shane Forbes, Rúben Candal, Wedu Batlokwa, Divine Izekor.

Bookings: Connolly (28)
Sending Off: Hand (32)

Attendance: 612

AthloneTownAFC.ie Man of The Match: Peter Grogan (Bray Wanderers)

SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division: Bray Wanderers vs Athlone Town AFC

Date: April 5th, 2024

Kick-off: 7.45pm                          

Venue: Carlisle Grounds

Athlone have been a real mixed bag this season having started so well in the first game of the season then having to wait until Monday to add to their only win of the season. Athlone who played a great game in Cork and were disappointed not to come away with at least a point also played well on Monday against Treaty United.

This will be Bray’s fifth match in fifteen days, and they have a bit of an injury crisis on their hands so they will be looking get back to winning ways on Friday.

Both teams will have something to prove and with only three points between the two clubs its all to play for on Friday night in the Carlisle Grounds.

Dario Castelo spoke to staff at AthloneTownAFC.ie, “There have been a lot of games in the last two weeks, and we were very happy to get back to winning ways on Monday. It’s important we continue with this momentum and continue to play well for the fans.”

Team News

Athlone Town AFC Noah Van Geenen is ruled out with injury.

Bray Wanderers Max Murphy is suspended, Calum Thompson, Jimmy Corcoran, Darren Craven, Cristian Magerusan and Ben Feeney are all injured.

Past Encounters

In researching this fixture, we went back to October 1997 and in that time Athlone and Bray have played 34 times in that time. Bray have come out on top 20 times there have been 8 draws with Athlone winning 6. Only twice has this fixture ended scoreless in the last 26 years so we are guaranteed a difficult game and goals. The last time we visited Bray we came away with a point having rescued a draw in the 92^nd minute scoring from a corner to make it 2-2.

Key Players to Watch

Athlone Town AFC Jamar Campion-Hinds has returned from a long-term layoff and looked really bright on his return. It may be too soon for him to start but he is one to watch.

Bray Wanderers Kilian Cantwell was linked to return to his former club Athlone in the offseason, but the Kilkenny man has enjoyed his time with the seasiders since signing for them, a real leader on and off the pitch he will certainly be a handful for the Athlone forwards to deal with.

Match Tickets
Tickets for the game can be purchased by clicking here.

Live Coverage:

The game will be streamed live on LOITV. Individual match passes can be purchased for €5 or viewers can purchase a season pass which will give them access to all games across the League of Ireland.

Referee Team
Referee: Chris Sheehan
1st Assistant Referee: Ricky Crean
2nd Assistant Referee: Trevor Cotter
4th Official: Robert Dowling

Athlone Town AFC 1-0 Treaty United FC
Monday, April 1st 2024 – 17:00
Athlone Town Stadium

Athlone Return to Winning Ways

Athlone returned to winning ways against Treaty United in Athlone Town Stadium. A changed kick off time of 5pm so a smaller crowd at the game on the Easter Bank Holiday Monday.  

Athlone last time out played well in Cork and were disappointed not to get a point but were determined today to make sure they got something out of the game. Athlone started brightly and put the Limerick side on the back foot from the kick-off. Athlone unleashed attack after attack but had to wait until the 13^th minute for the first real chance of any significance. A direct ball from right back Oisin Duffy was won by Dean Ebbe who had drifted between the two centre backs he laid the ball off to Jamal Ibrahim who’s shot from distance was never troubling the Treaty goalkeeper.

Athlone didn’t have to wait long for their next chance when a one two between Carl Mujaguzi and Ebbe allowed Athlone to attack the Treaty goal but it was cleared by Alec Byrne. His clearance was headed back towards goal by the excellent Dylan Hand and it found Ebbe, who timed his run well but Evan O’Connor for Treaty recovered well allowing Michael Dike to make the save.

Athlone were getting a lot of joy from Oisin Duffy’s passing and in the 17^th minute. He floated a lovely ball in behind the Treaty defence, finding Aaron Connolly with time and space to smash the ball past Dike. Connolly had timed his run brilliantly and was allowed to get one on one with Dike and made no mistake finding the bottom corner to put Athlone one goal to the good.

Two minutes later Connolly had a chance to get his and Athlone’s second of the evening when he showed great feet to get some space to fire a shot from distance, but it wasn’t to be and it was nowhere near the target.

Treaty were determined not to let Athlone dictate this fixture and in the 25^th minute a great bit of work in the middle of the pitch by Yousef Mahdy set Willie Armshaw away who managed to beat German Fuentes, but Enda Minogue was out quick to smother the ball. Moments later Armshaw put in a wonderful cross and found Byrne unmarked about 10 yards from goal whose header was on target and Minogue made a brilliant save downlow to his left to somehow keep the score at 1-0 to Athlone. From the resulting corner Treaty found the Athlone defence sleeping and a set piece from the training ground was well worked and Mahdy will be disappointed he didn’t test the Athlone goalkeeper.

Treaty were in a spell of dominating the game and just before the half hour mark, Mahdy found himself with another good chance and his shot was wide but had Minogue worried for a moment.

Both teams had created a few chances before the end of the half but the best of them fell to Ibrahim who broke behind the Treaty back line and had got his shot away, but it was over the bar. The ref pointed for a goal kick much to the protests of Ibrahim who was adamant that it took a deflection. The replay showed he was correct it was a great bit of defending by Ben O’Riordan who got the last touch on the ball.

Not to be outdone Treaty captain Mark Walsh controlled a corner with his back to goal hit the ball over his head and narrowly missed the top corner. Athlone went into the break leading 1-0.

The second half was similar to the first and both teams were creating chances. Treaty had a great chance to draw level when in the 56^th minute from an Armshaw freekick he found Lynch at the back post who couldn’t direct his header on target from a tight angle.

A Treaty corner in the 60^th minute caused real trouble for the Athlone defence when Minogue came out to claim the cross had the ball knocked from his hands by his own teammate and Byrne hit a low driven cross which was turned over his own bar by Hand to keep the score 1-0.

Athlone got a but fortuitus in the 75^th minute when a long Fuentes ball was chased by Connolly, when Treaty defender O’Riordan slipped, and Connolly tried to drill the ball across the face of the goal to Mujaguzi at the back post but Dike saved magnificently with his foot to keep Athlone at bay.

As the clock wound down Lynch was having some joy with his long throws causing problems for the Athlone defence, but a long clearance in the 86^th minute from Duffy gave the substitute Jamar Campion-Hinds something to chase and Dike came well outside his box to win the header but only to find Ruben Candal whose effort from the halfway line narrowly missed the target.

Treaty would throw everything the had at Athlone and in the 90^th minute Minogue made a remarkable save when Lynch tried to find substitute Leon Kirrane but the Athlone keeper dived bravely at the attackers feet to stop the attack.

Just when Athlone fans started to look to the referee for the final whistle Treaty started to turn the screw. In the 94^th minute from a Lynch long throw from the right, Brian Torre cleared the ball but only as far as O’Riordan who worked it back towards goal and the chance finally fell to Fionn Doherty but it went past the post by inches. Athlone were managing to hold onto the narrow lead but barely.

There was one more throw of the dice from Treaty in the 95^th minute this time it was a Lynch long throw from the left. It bounced over everyone and made its way to Enda Curran who dispatched his shot, it was blocked by Jones and deflected onto the arm of Oakley. Treaty players were incensed that they didn’t get the penalty but Athlone were relieved and managed to clear the ball to hang on for the win and a much needed three points

Following match day eight this result lifts Athlone to fifth and Treaty stay fourth in the table.

Athlone Town AFC: Enda Minogue, German Fuentes Rodriguez, Jarlath Jones, Daniel McKenna, Dylan Hand, Aaron Connolly, Dean Ebbe (Amardo Oakley 64’), Carl Mujaguzi (Brian Torre 79’), Oisin Duffy (C), Jamal Ibrahim (Jamar Campion-Hinds 79’), Matthew Leal (Ruben Candal 54’)

Unused Substitutes: Andrew Stuart Trainor, Dylan Gavin, Divine Izekor, Roscoe Rubinstein, Gideon Tetteh

Bookings: Duffy (58′)

Attendance: 783

AthloneTownAFC.ie Man of The Match: Dylan Hand