U19 League: Athlone Town 4-1 Galway United ST
Athlone Town moved four points clear on top of the Airtricity U19 League after an emphatic first half performance left Galway United with no way back and no answers to an Athlone side growing in confidence with each and every match. The game, under the floodlights of the Astroturf facility in Lecarrow, was watched closely by new Athlone Town Manager Roddy Collins, who will have been impressed by the performance of the side on Monday night.
Athlone Town opened with their now customary high intensity and were completely dominant in an opening half that saw the Town score four goals without reply. Eoin McCormack, back in the side after missing last week’s fixture, opened the scoring with a deft header which seemed to break the resolve of the Galway side that had defended well to that point.
The second followed soon after when a through ball from Ethan Keogh left Jordon Conroy one on one with the advancing keeper and the in-form striker made no mistake, finishing coolly. The third goal came following the best football of the night when a flowing passing move released Ian Sweeney on the right and his pinpoint cross fell to Ethan Keogh, who slammed home from close range. With time running out in the first half, Eoin McCormack did his best to impress the watching Roddy Collins by beating the opposing full back before burying his second, and Athlone’s fourth, in the bottom corner of the net.
Mick Collins and Alan McCaul made a number of changes immediately following half time and it’s not surprising with one eye on a Cup Quarter Final away in Cork this weekend that the second half saw a more measured approach from Athlone Town with the priorities of retaining the lead and avoiding injuries. While not as dominant a performance as the first half, Athlone Town did enough to control the tempo of the second half and Galway United were left with few opportunities. In the closing stages a Galway free kick broke in the box and was lashed home into the top corner of the net, but the goal was scant consolation in a second half where Athlone always looked like they had a few gears more.
The Quarter Final of the Enda McGuill Cup kicks off at 2pm at Bishopstown Stadium in Cork this coming Saturday.
Athlone Town FC: Jamie Coyne, Michael Monaghan, Ronan Morris, Seamus Byrne, Roy King, Alex Scully, David Brooks, Ian Sweeney, Eoin McCormack [Dylan McCabe], Ethan Keogh [Steven Conneely], Jordan Conroy [Terry Byrne]
