Connellan rescues resurgent Athlone outfit
Athlone 0-10, Shandonagh 0-9
Battling back in the second half, Athlone got the better of Shandonagh with just a point to spare, in the opening game of a double header, in Section B of the Westmeath Senior Football Championship at TEG Cusack Park on Sunday evening.
Conditions were poor as the rain proved a spoil sport and neither side will be happy with their overall performance, but it was Athlone who secured a precious victory, despite trailing by three points on two separate occasions in the first half.
Shandonagh were still leading by 0-6 to 0-5 at half-time, but they could manage just three second half scores and therein lies the root of their downfall. They got just one of those second half scores from play, with Tom Molloy on target in the 50th minute, in truth, that kind of return won’t win a lot of games at this level.
A relieved Athlone side somehow found a way in the challenging conditions and that was after a mediocre first half showing. They trailed, 0-5 to 0-2, when Daire Conway scored an 18th-minute point for the Kilpatrick side. Benny Martin and Shane Allen were the victor’s only scorers at this stage.
Athlone did have a goal chance on 22 minutes, but Conor Rushe saw his shot come off the upright and Shandonagh survived. While Gareth Carr put Shandonagh 0-6 to 0-3 clear in the 23rd minute, two crucial Benny Martin minors gave Athlone renewed belief late on.
DESERVED
The south Westmeath club duly built on that and were level (0-7 apiece) by the 37th minute as Cillian Lynn shot over. The sides were tied on two further occasions in a very tense second half before Ray Connellan produced that winning point with three minutes remaining.
Athlone should have found the net when Lynn and Kian Mitchell linked up, but the full forward blazed his shot over the crossbar on 46 minutes. A point, as it transpired, as a crucial score.
On the basis that they created the better chances, Athlone deserved their victory, but it was a game that could have gone either way.
Athlone are now fourth after three rounds, while Shandonagh are fifth on the table. Athlone play Mullingar Shamrocks next and Shandonagh face the improved Moate All Whites in a group in which the teams look very evenly matched.
Man of the match: Ray Connellan (Athlone): The Westmeath midfielder was the difference at crucial times and he popped up with the winning point for the Shannonsiders.
Scorers - Athlone: B Martin 0-3, C Lynn (1f) and R Connellan 0-2 each, K Colclough (f), S Allen and K Mitchell 0-1 each. Shandonagh: R Donnelly 0-3 (1m), D Conway, G Carr, A Hickey, B Kavanagh, T Molloy and C Coyne 0-1 each.
Athlone: Darren Costello; Patrick Ryan, James Finlass, Owen McNamara; Diarmuid Martin, Noel Mulligan, Kieran Colclough; Shane Allen, Ray Connellan; Ben Killian, Donagh Prendergast, Conor Rushe; Cillian Lynn, Kian Mitchell, Benny Martin. Subs: Eamon Martin for Rushe (45), John Stapleton for Mitchell (53), Matt Scally for B Martin (53).
Shandonagh: Conor Craig; Maitiú Scully, Daire Conway, Cathal Craig; Adam Treanor, Daniel Scahill, Gareth Carr; Cormac Gordon, Cormac Coyne; Alan Hickey, Luke Tynan, Darren McWade; Ryan Donnelly, Brian Kavanagh, Tom Molloy. Subs: Ben Killian for Tynan (ht), Darren Bitu for Conway (42), Aaron Flanagan for Kavanagh (inj., 45), Jake Costello for Gordon (inj., 53).
Referee: Niall Ward (Garrycastle).