Athlone women take another step towards retaining title
Treaty United 1 Athlone Town 4
By Darryl Geraghty
With now just four games left, Athlone Town took a massive step to retaining their Women's Premier Division title by overcoming a tough Treaty United side on Saturday last.
Two first half goals from American duo Madison Gibson and Alexis Strickland set the champions on their way but Madison McGuane threatened to scare The Town, halving the deficit just after the break, before super-sub Roisin Molloy forced the third and netted a fantastic fourth late on to ensure Lily Agg’s unbeaten reign in league games at the helm continued.
Having all but ended one title hopeful's dreams a week previous, holding Galway United scoreless last week, ex-Athlone Town player Laurie Ryan’s tricky Treaty looked to throw a spanner in the works of Athlone’s bid for a double double, but fell just short despite a fearless performance.
On an illustrious list of just three teams to inflict defeat on the Black and Blue Juggernaut, with a 3-1 win in the All-Island Cup at the same venue, the hosts held no fear and went about their business confidently, popping the ball around the Markets Field early on.
The impressive academy graduate Emma Jones, who was assured on her debut with a clean sheet seven days previous, showed once again why she was trusted making two important blocks early on, the second of which bravely denying Madie Gibson following a goal mouth scramble.
The hosts flew down the opposite end and almost snatched the lead when the highly rated Madison McGuane let fly from near 30-yards forcing Maria Matthaiou into a flying save to pick the ball out of the top corner.
In a rip roaring opening quarter of an hour, both teams then spurned glorious one-on-one chances to break the deadlock. Gibson was clever holding her run before racing clear but was met quickly by Emma Jones and tried to slot the ball low past the stopper but clipped the outside of the post.
Fellow American Caroline Penner was a thorn in the side of the Athlone defence with her powerful running and found herself clear on goal seconds later. Having broken into the box the 23-year-old cut in on her left but shot straight at Matthaiou.
Following the let off the visitors then began to click into gear and assert their dominance, hitting two goals in five minutes. The influential Gibson tried to burst down the left past Grace McInerney, swinging in a deep cross/shot that evaded everyone and went in off the back post - in which she would be the only one who knew if it was deliberate.
Moments later, one of the stars of the season Izzy Ryan displayed tremendous pace on the opposite side before cleverly cutting the ball back for sharp shooter Strickland to fire home.
Undeterred, the home side were unlucky not to half the deficit just before the break when Emma Oliphant burst into the box but was denied brilliantly by Matthaiou from point blank range, athletically tipping the goal bound effort onto the bar.
The chances kept coming as the hugely entertaining clash continued into the second half with Strickland missing yet another one-on-one, brilliantly denied by the feet of young Jones.
On the hour mark it was game on, when the lively McGuane took advantage of some slack Mooney play at the back to nick the ball before poking the ball home getting the goal her performance deserved.
Chasing what would have been a huge equaliser in terms of the title race, the home side were undone when substitute Roisin Molloy made an almost instant impact, as her dangerous cross was turned into her own net by the unfortunate Grace McInerney.
Molloy then put the icing on the cake with a stunning dinked effort from just inside the area that sailed into the top corner.
Treaty United: Emma Jones; Grace McInerney, Kyah Coady, Aibhlinn Cotter, Laura O’Neill, Fiona Doherty, Emma Oliphant, Madison McGuane, Katie Lawlee; Ciara Breslin, Caroline Penner. Subs used: Amelia Freeman for O’Neill (70 mins); Aine Walsh for Doherty (60); Eva Loftus for Breslin (82). Subs not used: Ciara Kelly, Amber Hardy, Alex Sheehy, Orlaith O’Connell.
Athlone Town: Maria Matthaiou; Shauna Brenna, Kelis Barton, Phoebe Hampson, Emma Mooney; Hannah Waesch, Kerryanne Brown; Izzy Ryan, Chloe Singleton, Madison Gibson; Alexis Strickland. Subs used: Roisin Molloy for Ryan (58 mins); Dana Scheriff for Singleton (58); Hazel Donegan for Gibson (86); Muireann Daly for Strickland (90). Subs not used: Courtney Maguire, Kellie Brennan, Melissa O’Kane, Danielle O’Neill, Sofia Stovold.
Referee: Mark Moynihan.