Athlone Town friday night

**Libero** · 03/05/2005, 5:13 PM

Are you lot expecting a handy three points from this one? We've not been too bad away from home and I reckon we can nick a point.

**Sheridan** · 03/05/2005, 5:27 PM

I well remember our last home meeting with Athlone, a 1-1 draw at Whitehall towards the end of the championship-winning season. We were fortunate to get a point that night. Alan O'Connor and Gavin Doyle lined out for us on that occasion. Our defence is robust and strong in the air, so I'd expect us to keep him quiet on Friday. Handy three points? Maybe not, but I'll be disappointed if we don't win.

**Ash** · 06/05/2005, 8:06 AM

I fancy us to nick all 3 points tonight!

**Libero** · 06/05/2005, 3:49 PM

I wonder will we have many supporters tonight? This could be a big result for us if we win.

**Derek** · 06/05/2005, 10:59 PM

The football match was good and we deserved the win, Athlone played well but we played a little bit better.

"your going home on the back of a tractor" was the chant as the Dubs took all the points.

C'Mon City

**Sheridan** · 06/05/2005, 11:11 PM

I thought we were poor, in all honesty. Right flank was a liability, Pender didn't hold the line adequately and Gavin Doyle (!) gave him the runaround. Mulcahy, for all his attacking attributes, can't defend. An occupational hazard of playing with two wingers, I suppose. As for Trevor Vaughan - well, the brain is still ticking, but the legs have gone. Not fit enough or fast enough for the role he's asked to play.

Keely fils was disappointing and diffident tonight, Hedderman could well be sizing up his shirt. Scully full of running as usual but he and Shiels (who reminds me more and more of Dominic Tierney with each passing game

) played too close together. McGill looked lively when he came on. Robbie Collins is sheer class, or at least will be when the edges are smoothed off his game.

Alan "Big Al" O'Connor almost equalised with a 25-yard volley which clattered off the crossbar

**hamish** · 06/05/2005, 11:22 PM

Another bummer. What was the crowd like, lads?

**Sheridan** · 06/05/2005, 11:25 PM

Originally Posted by sirhamish

Another bummer. What was the crowd like, lads?

Poor, in the region of 150. Decent contingent of Athlone fans though, the more vocal element of which didn't stop singing all night. I suppose when you support a team like Athlone, you have to make your own entertainment.

**hamish** · 06/05/2005, 11:31 PM

Ah Jaysus, that's right, shove the knife in!! Fair play to City, I reckon you'll go up this season. Pity crowd was so small. By the way, is the connection with Whitehall totally gone - I used to like that ground in the past when we played up there.

**Derek** · 06/05/2005, 11:39 PM

Originally Posted by Sheridan

McGill looked lively when he came on. Robbie Collins is sheer class, or at least will be when the edges are smoothed off his game.

You are spot on Sheridan, I just don't like to point out the weakness of some of our players.

Who was playing left back for us? No. 3 I think.

**Sheridan** · 06/05/2005, 11:42 PM

Originally Posted by Derek

You are spot on Sheridan, I just don't like to point out the weakness of some of our players.

Who was playing left back for us? No. 3 I think.

Brian Kelly. He's alright, not your classic full-back in terms of build, though. Decent cross and a booming shot in his armoury.

**Ash** · 07/05/2005, 8:59 AM

Originally Posted by Derek

The football match was good

In all fairness Derek were you watching the same game!

It was the worst tripe Ive seen in years. Dublin City were almost rubbish, and
thats not saying much for the rest of the division seeing as yer top! We were
nothing short of brutal. If it wasnt for Danny O Leary in goal ye could have
got 4 of the softest goals ever. Our defence was all out at sea!

Alan OC was unlucky with the cracker off the crossbar but we badly need
a striker who can score!

Good craic shouting against the 2 DC fans with the drum though

The Cootes - Independent Athlone Town Supporters Club sang
throughout the 90 mins ... and even joined in at half time with
the music from the tannoy

**Libero** · 07/05/2005, 10:51 AM

Have to agree with Ash. This was one of the worst games of football I have seen in a long time. It had a sort of junior soccer feel to it. What was our defence up to for the goal? Tom Silke was on a different wavelength from the rest of the defence in the first half...and it wasn't a good one.

I thought we were unlucky not to score a goal but sure there's no guarantee that DC wouldn't have just gone up the other end and bagged another against our leaky-looking defence.

Well done the mad bunch of Athlone singers during the game. You really quietened the hardy band of DC ultras just over the way!