Kayleigh Shine’s at The Back
Both teams started brightly, and it was clear it was a tense atmosphere with both teams needing a win or a least a draw.
We had to wait 19 minutes for the first real chance of the game. Kate Selvin won the ball in midfield and found Casey Howe, who helped it to Chloe Singleton. Singleton who was running at the Wexford back line played a great ball to Roisin Molloy who had time, getting her cross in towards Madison Gibson but Jayne Merren read it well and was out quickly to save it.
In the 22nd minute Gibson finds Kate Selvin who with a bit of space and she unleashed a shot, but it was never troubling the Wexford goal.
In the 23rd minute, a long ball over the top by Kellie Brennan gave Casey Howe something to chase but Merren realising shes outside of the box deals with it by kicking, it clear very clever goalkeeping.
In the 33rd minute we had Wexford’s first real chance. A sustained attack from Wexford found Aine Walsh on the right-hand side. She played a clever pass to Murphy who found Ciara Rossiter inside the box who done brilliantly to find Ellen Molloy who is closed quickly by Roisin Molloy who blocked the shot going out for a corner to Wexford.
Della Doherty should have scored from the resulting corner; her run wasn’t tracked and with time and space she just couldn’t get a good connection on the ball, and it bounced over the bar. It was a real warning for the hosts.
Kellie Brennan in the 38th minute played a good one two with Roisin Molloy on the right and Kellie got the shot away. It had Merren scrambling in the Wexford goal, but it went narrowly wide.
It was an even first half and the teams went in at half time 0-0.
Wexford started the second half brightly and could have found the front two minutes after the restart. Athlone were building out from the back Gibson was caught in possession and the ball was played forward to the exciting Ceola Bergin who laid it off to Rossiter whose left footed shot from distance just narrowly over the bar.
In the 56th minute of the game Wexford created another great chance, a quick Orlaith Conlon throw in found Rossiter who wasn’t picked up and it allowed her to play a ball over the top for Bergin to run onto leaving her one on one with Katie Keane, her touch allowed Shine to recover and get herself between that player and the ball allowing Keane to make the save.
In the 60th minute a good ball in behind from Molloy finds Chloe Singleton whose chipped effort is narrowly over the bar. This was an even game and it looked like it was going to finish scoreless.
In the 70th minute we finally got the goal the game needed. Clancy played a ball forward looking for Bergin, but Jesi Rossman intercepted the ball and stepped into midfield. She played a quick ball out to Gibson on the left wing who took on Russell beating her and pulling the ball back to Singleton who brilliantly placed the ball into the bottom corner putting the town one nil up.
Moments later it could have been two. A Kellie Brennan cross found Kerry Brown with her back to goal and she chipped it over her head finding Gibson in front of goal but her shot was always going over the bar.
A Freya de Mange free kick had Athlone worried in the 83rd minute, from about 30 yards out she had a go looking for the top corner, but it went narrowly over.
Athlone held on for the win and sees them move back to third in the table on thirteen points and Wexford eighth on four points with both teams having played a game less than the teams around them.
Athlone Town AFC: Katie Keane, Kellie Brennan, Kayleigh Shine, Shauna Brennan, Jesi Lynne Rossman. Kate Slevin, Chloe Singleton, Casey Howe (Gillian Keenan 85′), Laurie Ryan ©, Roisin Molloy (Kerryanne Brown 71′), Madison Gibson
Unused Substitutes: Amy Mahon, Isabel Ryan, Antea Guvo, Mary Philips, Aoife Murphy O’Connor, Hazel Donegan, Ciara O’Neill
Bookings: Singleton (82)
Attendance: 436
AthloneTownAFC.ie Player of The Match: Kayleigh Shine
