Athlone make winning start despite bizarre red card
Soccer: SSE Airtricity League First Division
Longford Town 1 Athlone Town 3
John Dingle
Athlone Town came into the new season looking to build on the promise shown towards the end of the 2022 campaign, and they duly did so by beating Longford Town in their First Division opener last Saturday night.
A dreadful start last year cost manager Martin Russell his job, before Dermot Lennon and Gordon Brett came in to take charge and steady the ship. Athlone tasted defeat on just one occasion in their closing six games of their 2022 league campaign and the form carried forward at Bishopsgate last weekend.
The visitors opened the scoring through Frantz Pierrot in this midlands derby, but Darragh Lynch brought Longford level just before the break.
Two goals in a four-minute spell just after the hour mark - the goals coming from Jamar Campion-Hinds (one of three Athlone newcomers) and Pierrot - put the visitors in control.
But Longford still had a chance of sharing the spoils when the visitors were reduced to ten men following Pierrot's celebration of the third goal.
The striker picked up a second yellow card for lifting his shirt, leaving the visitors in a vulnerable position. Pierrot did not fully take off his shirt but by pulling it over his head, it still warranted a yellow card in the view of the referee Eoghan O’Shea and an early end to his involvement.
A penalty kick later afforded Longford the chance of reducing the deficit, but Enda Minogue denied Sam Verdon as the visitors then held out to secure victory.
Aaron Connolly produced an impressive display in the middle of the park for Athlone, who face Finn Harps in their first home game of the season this Friday night.
*See this week's Westmeath Independent (on sale from Wednesday) for full report.