Athlone

[ForzaForth]

Solitary goal in last few minutes secured the win for Athone in Ferrycarrig in what was a poor and uninspired game. Youths made one change (Shane starting) from the team which started against Limerick and played an unusual 3-5-2 formation with Packie, back three of Wolfie, Karl and Murt, five of Shane, Patsy, Craig, Ben and Kevin and with Danny and Darragh up front. First chance fell early on to Athlone with a free header from a corner but a poor connection meant that it didn't get on target. Danny then headed over from a cross by Darragh and Darragh had a cross-cum-shot just over about the twenty mark. With the exception of Athlone winning a few headers in the box, neither side then created anything for the remainder of the half until, just before the blow, Shane had a shot pushed away for a corner after a good Wexford move and then had a shot on target but easily saved for a nil-nil half-time after a very poor first half.

[ForzaForth]

Wexford's diamond formation with Ben at the head of it didn't work in the first half and they switched to a more normal 4-4-2 style at the start of the second with Ben switching to wide right. However, just as you thought that the second half couldn't be worse, it actually was with both sides creating little until about ten to go. Only effort I noted in the first half-hour of this half was a header by Danny which went just wide. However, Wexford often get more and more shapeless as the subs. come on and young inexperienced players get shunted about the pitch and this seemed to occur tonight as Gareth came on for Shane, Greg for Darragh, and with ten to go, Muzzi for Kevin.

[ForzaForth]

To their credit, Athlone finished the stronger and with about fifteen to go, got a good shot on target which Packie did well to grab at the second attempt. With ten to go, Youths then lost the ball in their own half and neat shifting of the ball by Athlone left their left winger in the clear but he shot wide with only Packie to beat. In last few minutes, Athlone won two corners in a row, and with the second, their scorer, in keeping with the standard of the game, eared or shouldered it into the net from inside a crowded six-yard box with Packie unable to get to the cross. Wexford tried to attacj in injury time and again in keeping with the low standard an attempted lob into the box by Patsy went behind all the Wexford attackers and Patsy barged into the Athlone carrier breaking away for a straight red and a one-nil scoreline to Athlone at the end.

[ForzaForth]

Overall, the sort of game which gives you nightmares and both sets of attackers made very little impression on their respective defenders over the ninety minutes. Didn't think Danny looked 100% fit for the Youths while the best player on the pitch was the Athlone right back. About 250 at it.