Athlone make tame exit from cup as Sporting Fingal dish out drubbing

ATHLONE Town went out of the FAI Cup with a whimper when succumbing to a tame defeat against First Division promotion contenders Sporting Fingal at Morton Stadium last Friday. Although Athlone were missing several players who were either cup-tied or injured, the manner of the defeat was hugely disappointing as they failed to put up any resistance against their more highly rated opposition. Dreadful individual errors cost Athlone two goals in the opening half and there never seemed any possibility of the Town dragging themselves back in the contest after the interval. Substitute Noel McGee did manage to net his eighth goal of the season late in proceedings but his successful penalty kick - awarded after a foul on Robbie Benson - was a mere token consolation as Athlone were brutally outclassed and made often made look a poor team by Fingal. With their involvement in the cup now over, Athlone would appear to have little but pride to play for in the coming months as they see out the First Division campaign. Recently acquired midfielders Davie O'Connor and Mark Salmon, along with striker Austin Skelly, were cup-tied having represented different clubs earlier in the competition, while Kevin Williamson and Gary Murphy missed out through injury. Forwards Noel McGee and Johnny Mernagh were only deemed fit enough to take places on the bench and Anthony Hayes and David Tyrrell returned to the midfield after spells on the treatment table. Hayes, in particular, had been missing from action for quite some time having not started a match since mid-April when he damaged knee ligaments against Finn Harps. Included in Fingal's side were several players with extensive Premier Division experience including Shaun Maher, Stephen Paisley, Gary O'Neill and Alan Kirby, and they could even afford to have Eamon Zayed - who won a Premier Division title with Drogheda Utd in 2007 - on the bench. Athlone began brightly enough and Stephen Place almost got on the end of a great cross by the otherwise out-of-sorts Niall O'Reilly after just a couple of minutes. But Fingal began to get a grip on affairs shortly afterwards with right winger Conan Byrne giving Brian Cleary a torrid time at left back. Byrne tested Alex O'Reilly after three minutes but it was a disastrous mistake by midfielder Kieran O'Reilly that led to the goal. O'Reilly dithered in possession about 30 yards from Athlone's goal and Shaun Williams poked the ball into the path of Gary O'Neill, whose thunderous and accurate finish from the edge of the box gave Alex O'Reilly absolutely no chance. The former St Pat's striker's effort oozed Premier Division quality while O'Reilly's mistake exuded exactly the opposite. It was almost two within seven minutes, when Lorcan Fitzgerald's left wing cross found Byrne at the back post but his close-range volley went just over the crossbar. Athlone were now struggling big-time and a tendency to overplay and dwell on the ball got them in serious trouble at the back on several occasions. Byrne's free kick delivery on 26 minutes picked out Stephen Paisley at the back post but he couldn't direct his header on target and then Des Hope was forced into a good clearance after a mistake by Cleary, who was taken off on the half hour. In defence of Cleary, the left back played despite complaining of illness prior to kick-off. Athlone's only sniff of goal came in the 31st minute when Brian Gannon's mis-control gave Benson a sight of goal but he failed to hit the target with his effort. The Town's Kieran O'Reilly and Fingal's Shaun Williams were both booked before the break but it was a needless foul by David Tyrrell on the edge of the box which led to Fingal's all-important second goal in the 45th minute. Conan Byrne's free kick took a wicked deflection off Andrei Georgescu in the Athlone wall and flew past a helpless O'Reilly in the Athlone goal. Basically, this more or less killed the game off as a meaningful contest. Athlone started the second half with a bit more urgency and both Des Hope and Robbie Benson were unfortunate not to score within minutes of the restart. Up the other end, Robbie Hamm made a brilliant clearance when Alan Kirby's cross threatened to result in a third goal for the home side. On 53 minutes, O'Neill shot straight at Alex O'Reilly after a terrific delivery by Gannon, while Stephen Place was unlucky not to get Benson through as Paisley made a well timed interception. Fingal went further ahead on 58 minutes when Byrne arrived at the back post to neatly finish off a cross by the impressive Fitzgerald. Both Hamm and Niall O'Reilly were booked as Athlone's frustration began to grow and Williams was unfortunate not to further increase Fingal's lead when his long range effort went just wide. Hamm also tried his luck from distance in the 76th minute but his fierce drive flew over Darren Quigley's crossbar. Benson was brought down in the penalty area by Shaun Maher and McGee calmly sent Quigley the wrong way to made it 3-1. McGee then had another view of goal but hesitated somewhat with his shot and got crowded out in the Fingal penalty area. But Athlone's miserable night was compounded when Robert Bayly raced untroubled from the middle of the field before shooting past O'Reilly in the 88th minute. Sporting Fingal: Darren Quigley; Brian Gannon, Lorcan Fitzgerald, Shaun Williams, Shaun Maher, Stephen Paisley, Conan Byrne, Robert Bayly, Gary O'Neill, Alan Kirby, Eric Foley. Subs: Daniel Corcoran for O'Neill (70 mins), Eamon Zayed for Foley (74). Athlone Town: Alex O'Reilly; Niall O'Reilly; Brian Cleary; Luke Hardy; Des Hope; Kieran O'Reilly; Andrei Georgescu; Anthony Hayes; Stephen Place; Robbie Benson; David Tyrrell. Subs: Robbie Hamm for Cleary (30 mins); Noel McGee for K. O'Reilly (60), Johnny Mernagh for Place (70). Referee: Rob Rogers.