Men’s Match Report: UCD (H)
Athlone Extend Unbeaten Home Run with Draw
UCD were the visitors on the 24th of May 2024 playing out a 2-2 draw in Athlone Town Stadium.
Dario named an unchanged side from the team that drew with Longford. Ruban Candal returned to the bench having missed out last week due to injury.
Athlone started brightly and we didn’t have to wait long for the first goal, Athlone were playing out from the back and Oisin Duffy found Amardo Oakley on the right-hand side, he cut the ball back inside to Carl Mujaguzi. His short pass was into the feet of Dean Ebbe who was at the edge of the area. He played back to Mujaguzi who chipped it towards the far post finding Gideon Tetteh who made no mistake from a tight angle. The hosts were one nil up.
Brian Torre had Athlone hearts in their mouths in the 16th minute when he got his head to a UCD cross, and it just missed the Athlone goal and went out for a corner but after the game Brian said to AthloneTownAFC.ie that he knew what he was doing.
Athlone lead was doubled in the 20th minute when Torre played the ball down the line to Tetteh who, with a world class bit of skill, let the ball hit his foot and it skipped over Ronan Finn and into space for Tetteh to run onto he ran into the box and took his time and pulled a ball back to Aaron Connolly, his placed shot took a deflection but ended up in the back of the net. 2-0 to the hosts.
In the 25th minute the Students got one back, Ronan Finn was in possession on the right-hand side, he played the ball inside to Behan who played the ball across to Jake Doyle. Doyle fashioned some space and got the shot away just inside the box, Enda Minogue made a brilliant save down to his right but to his horror his save fell to the feet of Michael McCullagh who reacted quicker than the Athlone defence and slotted home from 2 yards to pull the score back to 2-1.
From a corner shortly after the goal, a deep cross to the back post was won by Michael McCullagh who got his shot towards the goal but never really threatened.
UCD were really coming into the game and in the 27th minute a Ciaran Behan effort from about 25 yards rattled the crossbar, a great effort from Behan. The students were really starting to show their quality.
Just before the break, Finn found Behan just inside the box and he crossed low after taking on Dylan Hand but it was intercepted by German and Athlone managed to clear the ball.
Athlone started the brighter of the two teams, but UCD grew into the game as it went on, but it was the hosts that lead at the break 2-1.
UCD weren’t in the mood to wait around for the second half they were out seven minutes before Athlone and the Referees. The second half started as the first half finished with UCD holding possession but the first real chance of the second half went to Athlone when the ball broke to the right-hand side. Amardo Oakley ran at the UCD defence, he went down the line and found his way to the end line but was marshalled out of play by Sean Brennan.
We had to wait for the 72nd minute for UCD’s first real shot of the second half. They were enjoying a lot of possession but getting it hard to break down the Athlone defence. Sean Brennan played a brilliant ball forward behind the Athlone defence with two UCD players there. Both Paker and Raggett bearing down on goal, Raggett got the shot away and it clipped the outside post – a real let off for Athlone, but it was all UCD so far in the second half.
We didn’t have to wait long after that for UCD to equalise, in the 79th minute. A Donal Higgins free kick just inside the Athlone half was floated to the back of the box. It was cleared by German but only as far as Michael McCullagh who clipped the ball to the back post, and it was headed home by Raggett who climbed higher than the Athlone defender.
Things boiled over in the 85th minute when a UCD corner was caught by Enda Minogue but he was fouled by Eanna Clancy and the referee gave a free out. Clancy protested with Minogue and there was a bit of a shemozzle in the box and a couple of yellow cards later we got back under way.
Athlone finished the stronger of the two teams and had a chance to win the game in 93rd minute Brian Torre done brilliantly on the left wing and got into the box. He stabbed at the ball but couldn’t direct his shot goalward. That was all and it was points shared 2-2.
Following match day seventeen sees Athlone stay third on twenty-seven points and UCD stay second on twenty-nine points.
Unfortunately for Athlone, Daniel McKenna picked up a 5th yellow card to rule him out of the Cork Game. Athlone extend their unbeaten run to eight games and remain unbeaten at home this season.
Athlone Town AFC: Enda Minogue, German Fuentes Rodriguez, Daniel McKenna, Dylan Hand, Aaron Connolly, Dean Ebbe, Carl Mujaguzi (Matthew Leal 45’), Amardo Oakley (Jamar Campion-Hinds 77’), Oisin Duffy ©, Brian Torre, Gideon Tetteh (Ruben Candal 88’)
Unused Substitutes: Andrew Stuart Trainor, Jarlath Jones, Noah Van Geenen, Gabriel Padilla, Divine Izekor, Roscoe Rubinstein
Bookings: Connolly (68), McKenna (77), Roderiguez (87), Hand (87)
Attendance: 541
AthloneTownAFC.ie Man of The Match: Gideon Tetteh