Coughlan to sign out with a bang - Roddy
ATHLONE Town manager Roddy Collins believes that Garbhan Coughlan can sign-off in style from his successful loan spell with the Airtricity First Division promotion chasers.
Coughlan is expected to partner Athlone’s top-scorer in the league Philly Gorman in Athlone’s attack when they entertain Mervue Utd at Lissywollen tonight (Friday, 7.45pm). But the talented striker then returns to Premier Division Limerick for the remainder of the season.
Speaking earlier today, Roddy Collins said that he had enquired to Limerick about extending Coughlan’s loan spell to the end of the campaign but that the Limerick manager Stuart Taylor wants to keep Coughlan for the second half of the season.
“I spoke to Limerick and wanted to keep Garbhan but it’s not going to happen. They rate him as highly as we do and want to have him involved in the second half of the season. That’s Limerick’s call and there’s nothing we can do about it. But I spoke to Garbhan during the week and thanked him for his contribution in the first half of the season. He’s been very good for us and I’d expected him to get even better in the future. Garbhan has told me that he wants to sign-out with a brilliant performance for Athlone and hopefully we will see that tonight,” Collins said.
With Coughlan due to return to his parent club after tonight’s fixture and with a one-game suspension hanging over Gorman for next week’s trip to Wexford Youths, Collins said that he has stepped up his search for a new striker or two. However, it now appears unlikely that Collins will be able to sign his top transfer target, Salthill Devon’s Enda Curran, with the current First Division leaders Longford Town believed to have entered the race for his signature.
Collins is currently running the rule over a trialist centre-forward but will also be without attacker Ian Sweeney for tonight’s game. Sweeney is also thought to be a major doubt for the trip to Wexford, leaving Athlone potentially very light in the striking department for the visit to Ferrycarrig Park.
In a boost ahead of tonight’s game, Collins confirmed that his skipper Aidan Collins has shrugged off a shoulder injury and will be fit enough to play.
“Aido’ is grand and trained on Thursday evening when we had a great session. Everyone is fully tuned-in and raring to go after the short one-week break and hopefully we’ll get three more points on the board this evening,” said Roddy.