Men’s Match Report: Treaty United (H)
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 13th 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 17th 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 25th 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 56th 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 60th 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 75th 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 86th 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 90th 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 94th 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 95th 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