Cards aplenty as goals propel Athlone to win over Moate

GAA: Shay Murtagh Precast Westmeath Senior FC – Section B

Athlone 3-9 Moate All Whites 0-11

In this incident-packed Westmeath SFC encounter, a late goal from substitute Conor Rushe added gloss to Athlone’s deserved victory over Moate All Whites at Tubberclair last Thursday night.

As the scoreline suggests, Athlone’s ability to pounce for goals proved decisive - but that doesn’t tell the full story by any means.

With Shane Allen and Ray Connellan scoring brilliant goals, Athlone led by nine points at the 20-minute mark (2-5 to 0-2). The Shannonsiders’ performance then dipped somewhat, but they still enjoyed a six-point lead at half-time (2-6 to 0-6).

Moate upped their efforts in the second half and when Athlone attacker Stephen O’Connor was sent off in the 42nd minute (he was shown a black card to go with an earlier yellow), it was ‘game on’ again. Yet the All Whites were unable to get any closer than four points, before Rushe’s goal removed all doubt about the outcome.

Athlone finished the contest with 13 men - Connellan picking up a second yellow in the dying moments - while Moate ended with 14 after defender Philip King was shown a second yellow (48th minute). On an evening when plenty of cards were issued, Moate’s Ruairí Cunningham (first half) and John Stapleton (second half) also received black cards.

Athlone started the game with far more intensity than they showed in the early stages of their previous outing against Tang. The impressive Kieran Colclough opened the scoring and added two more points (one free) early on. Shane Reid (from about 40 metres) and Benny Martin also found the range as Athlone surged into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead.

Indeed, it could have been more with the Athlone camp incensed that advantage wasn’t played after the fouled Connellan played the ball across to Benny Martin in a goalscoring position.

For Moate, Conor Sheridan was characteristically energetic at wing-forward and he opened his side’s account (in reply to Colclough’s opener), while Aaron O’Neill contributed their second point.

On 15 minutes, Athlone struck for their first goal. After Ray Connellan exerted pressure to secure a turnover, the ball was moved forward via Benny Martin and James Finlass, before Shane Allen swept the ball home with a clinical finish.

A black card for Ruairí Cunningham was a further blow to Moate, meaning the midfielder had to spend ten minutes in the sin bin.

The strong tackling of Athlone players such as John Stapleton, Shane Allen and Diarmuid Martin was very evident and they seemed to have an edge in the physical stakes.

In the 20th minute, Connellan raised Athlone’s second green flag with aplomb, having benefited from Stephen O’Connor’s superb pass.

James Finlass was doing well in curbing the threat of Robbie Forde, but the Westmeath player opened his account with a 22nd-minute point. Forde then added a second after the lively O’Neill won a free. Moments later, Connellan’s fine fetch at midfield led to a sweet point from Eamon Martin.

John Twaddle’s men cut the deficit with two Forde points before the interval – the first a mark. The second came from a free, with referee Declan Nugent awarding the score after his umpires looked very unsure (many observers reckoned it was wide). In any case, the two Athlone goals divided the teams at half-time.

Shortly after the restart, Athlone almost put themselves into a really commanding position when Connellan crashed a right-foot shot off the crossbar. Shane Reid caught the rebound and Athlone claimed a penalty for a possible foul but nothing was given. Within moments at the other end, Moate had a penalty claim of their own, when Forde may have been impeded illegally.

After O’Connor extended Athlone’s lead, Forde kept Moate hopes alive with two points (one free). Cillian Lynn (Athlone) and Eoin Ronaldson (Moate) exchanged points but there was then a lengthy scoring hiatus. With proceedings now quite niggly, this phase of the game saw the dismissal of O’Connor and King, while Stapleton was black-carded.

Athlone were again annoyed that advantage wasn’t played when Connellan headed goalwards and the difficult free that followed yielded no reward. At the other end, a great tackle by the excellent Diarmuid Martin thwarted Moate sub Jake Fannin.

Connellan showed the way with the first score in some 14 minutes to steady frayed Athlone nerves. But Forde again responded for Moate, hitting two more points (one free).

Yet the men in white couldn’t conjure the goal they needed and instead Eoin Jordan’s charges wrapped it up with their third major. In stoppage time, Colclough won the ball back in defence but still had the energy to join the counter attack, and the same player supplied the pass for Rushe to palm the ball home.

Man of the match: Ray Connellan (Athlone). The versatile Westmeath star blotted his copybook somewhat with a double yellow, but still exerted a huge influence. Diarmuid Martin, Shane Allen and Kieran Colclough all had influential games. For Moate, Robbie Forde was well marshalled in the first half but he came to life in the second period and finished the game with 0-8, while Robbie Gorman battled valiantly to the end.

What it means: Athlone and Tyrrellspass are now joint top of Section B with two wins from two games, with Killucan just behind them on three points.

Scorers – Athlone: R Connellan 1-1; S Allen and C Rushe 1-0 each; K Colclough 0-3 (1f); S Reid, B Martin, E Martin, S O’Connor and C Lynn (f) 0-1 each. Moate: R Forde 0-8 (4f, 1m); C Sheridan, A O’Neill and E Ronaldson 0-1 each.

Athlone: Darren Costello; Noel Mulligan, James Finlass, Dylan Rushe; Shane Allen, Diarmuid Martin, Michael Byrne; John Stapleton, Ray Connellan; Kieran Colclough, Shane Reid, Stephen O'Connor; Cillian Lynn, Eamon Martin, Benny Martin. Subs used: Donagh Prendergast for E Martin (44); Conor Rushe for Lynn (55); Ben Killian for B Martin (62).

Moate All Whites: Richie Price; Philip King, Andrew Gorman, Dean Corbally; Fiachra Cunningham, Harry Niall, Daragh Lowry; Ruairí Cunningham, Robbie Gorman; Conor Sheridan, Ronan Conway, Gavin Murray; Aaron O’Neill, Robbie Forde, Eoin Ronaldson. Subs used: Dylan Ennis for Corbally (13); Jake Fannin for F Cunningham (33); Tobby Conteh for O’Neill (47) Paul Sheridan for Conway (56).

Referee: Declan Nugent (Maryland).