Athlone Town announce departure of boss Adrian Carberry

Athlone Town AFC announced today (Tuesday) that it has parted company with the head coach of its senior men's team, Adrian Carberry.

Carberry, an Athlone native and popular former player for the club, departed by "mutual agreement" according to a statement issued by the club's board this morning.

This development has come after Athlone Town's 6-0 defeat away to UCD last Friday night. In addition, Athlone fell to a heavy defeat (4-1) at home to Limerick outfit Treaty United at the end of July.

In the days following the Treaty United result the club released a statement which offered strong backing to Carberry, but the nature of the defeat to UCD appears to have altered the situation.

Carberry guided Athlone Town to the FAI Cup semi-finals last year, and Athlone made a very promising start to this season's league campaign.

Today's statement from Athlone Town AFC said: "The decision that Adrian should step down from the role he has held since December 2019 was by mutual agreement.

"His departure comes following a meeting between the parties on Monday night to discuss the team's recent league form and on-field performances.

"It was agreed that the best option for the team at this point in time was for somebody else to take over the reins, for the remainder of the 2021 season.

"Athlone Town AFC would like to put on the record its thanks and appreciation to Adrian for all his hard work, especially when it came to trying to coach a team in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic," continued the statement.

"The club fully acknowledges Adrian's commitment to the position, and his strong desire to return the club to its glory days. Unfortunately, from everybody's perspective things did not work out as we all would have liked.

"The club wishes Adrian, a former player and a local Athlone man, and his family the very best for the future.

"Athlone Town AFC will now begin its search for a replacement head coach. The club will make an announcement in due course regarding Adrian's successor," the statement concluded.

It's expected that Athlone will appoint a caretaker manager or head coach for this Friday's night game at home to Galway United. But it may take some time before a manager is appointed on a full-time basis.

Athlone are currently in sixth place in the SSE Airtricity First Division table, eight points behind fifth placed UCD, who occupy the last of the play-off spots.