Out-of-tune Town fall to fourth defeat in a row
by Kevin O'Neill Updated: Wednesday, 24th August, 2011 5:30pm
Athlone Town 0 Finn Harps 1
A truly lacklustre display by Athlone Town led to a fourth straight league defeat on Saturday evening.
Currently struggling to find form, Athlone fell behind to a sweet Kevin McHugh strike on 14 minutes, and despite a wonderful chance to equalise for Noel McGee in the second half, couldn't restore parity against an improving but hugely inexperienced Finn Harps side.
Going into this game, third from bottom Harps trailed Athlone by four points in the league standings, but with their recent upsurge in form (largely inspired by the recent arrival of new managerial duo Felix Healy and Peter Hutton), coupled with a worrying period for Mike Kerley's Athlone, the Donegal men now have a great chance of overhauling Athlone during the last couple of months of the season.
Since returning from the mid-season break, Athlone have lost three league games on the trot, and badly need to address this mini-slump quickly. On paper, they look to have a clear opportunity of doing so when they travel to bottom-side Salthill Devon this coming weekend, but Athlone supporters will take nothing for granted there either, especially after Salthill's surprising 1-1 draw at promotion-chasing Limerick last weekend.
Athlone had hoped for a spirited performance following a 5-1 thumping at the hands of mid-table Waterford Utd, but had to cope without injured duo Niall Scullion (who looks likely to miss the remainder of the season with an ankle problem) and captain Kevin Williamson.
Jason Hughes, Noel McGee and Joe Woods were also relegated to the substitutes bench following the Waterford game. Experienced midfielder Damien Rushe was given a first start since returning to the club, while Mark Walsh and Stephen Relihan were restored to the starting line-up following injuries.
Mark Sherlock was favoured over top-scorer McGee in attack, while Bobby Tier was handed a rare appearance at right-back.
Surprisingly, Declan Fallon (normally Athlone's right-back), and central midfielder Relihan, were deployed by Kerley in wide attacking roles, and during the first half Athlone struggled to offer adequate support to lone frontman Sherlock.
Harps arrived in Athlone without the services of up to seven potential first-teamers, including important defenders Packie Mailey, Keith Cowan and player-manager Peter Hutton. They fielded a largely inexperienced side, aside from Paddy McLaughlin, Gary Curran and Kevin McHugh, and gave run-outs to seven teenagers on the night.
Though lacklustre and struggling for ideas for most of the match, Athlone could've sneaked a draw from the fixture, when McGee (only on the pitch two minutes) was presented with a glaring opportunity to score on 47 minutes.
However, McGee's close range effort was brilliantly saved by Harps netminder Ciaran Gallagher, and with that went Athlone's best chance to grab an undeserved share of the spoils.
The opening half was as sterile as it gets.
Harps, with four wins from their previous eight outings, were shading matters, with Kevin Devanney, Barry O'Mahoney (both on loan from Sligo Rovers), and the wily Kevin McHugh, mostly involved in the visitors' good work.
The first real shot of note didn't come until the 12th minute, when McHugh tried an ambitious free-kick from almost 40 yards that was Micheál Schlingermann saved comfortably.
Two minutes later, Schlingermann could do very little, as McHugh was afforded too much time to turn near the edge of Athlone's penalty area, and the former Derry City and Linfield marksman drilled a fine effort into the bottom corner of Athlone's net.
McHugh now moves onto 147 goals for Finn Harps, and is the Ballybofey club's second highest goalscorer of all-time (behind the legendary Brendan Bradley).
Athlone needed some good defending from the reliable Paul Danaher to stave off another few Harps attacks, before Davy Ryan muscled his way into a shooting position for Athlone but was eventually crowded out in the penalty area.
Danaher made yet another vital interception as half-time approached, this time preventing McHugh's clever pass from reaching Devanney, but a poor Athlone display meant they trailed at the interval.
Mike Kerley had little hesitation changing things at the break, introducing McGee and Tommy Barrett for Relihan and Tier.
And McGee almost had an immediate impact.
Athlone worked their most exciting move of the game down the right flank, with the courageous Wayne Colbert (captaining the team on the night) combining well with Sherlock.
The ball was eventually squared to McGee in a great position, just six yards out, but his strike produced a magnificent save from Gallagher. Though the goalkeeper rightly took the plaudits for a stunning save, diverting the ball up and over the crossbar with his right foot, a finisher of McGee's renown will feel bitterly disappointed at his failure to find the back of the net from such a distance.
McGee's next real involvement saw him yellow-carded for dissent by referee Fitzgerald, before Schlingermann made a great save to push Martin Redmond's 25-yard effort over the crossbar.
Devanney also dragged a good chance wide for Harps on the hour mark, before Kerley sprung his last change from the bench in the shape of Gary Higgins.
Athlone now had three recognised strikers on the pitch, and Higgins' endeavour won Athlone a free-kick in a promising position, on the very edge of the Harps box, in the 80th minute.
However, McGee struggled to get any power in his effort and Finn Harps' defensive wall blocked the ball to safety.
Athlone struggled to put Harps' rearguard under serious pressure in the closing minutes, and the visitors could've stretched their lead on the break, but both Devanney and substitute Blaine Curtis were off-target.
Athlone Town: Micheál Schlingermann; Bobby Tier, Jamie Carr, Paul Danaher, Mark Walsh, Wayne Colbert, Damien Rushe, Declan Fallon, Davy Ryan, Mark Sherlock, Stephen Relihan. Subs: Noel McGee for Relihan (HT), Tommy Barrett for Tier (HT), Gary Higgins for Fallon (66).
Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Martin Redmond, Joe Gallagher, Aaron O'Hagan, Paddy McLaughlin, Barry O'Mahoney, Mark McGoldrick, Gary Curran, Stephen O'Donnell, Kevin McHugh, Kevin Devanney. Subs: Blaine Curtis for McGoldrick (64 mins), Gareth Harkin for Curran (73), Hugh McFadden for O'Donnell (90).
Referee: Conor Fitzgerald.
