Athlone"s season peters out with scoreless draw against Longford

Another poor season for Athlone Town came to an end with a scoreless draw against Longford Town at Lissywoollen last Saturday. The reversal of the league"s decision to dock the club a point over a player registration issue meant victory on Saturday would have lifted Athlone above Longford in the final standings. However, Dermot Lennon"s men found the net on just 23 occasions in 36 games this season and their absence of firepower again proved a stumbling block against Longford. Despite creating some good chances in the second half - the best of which saw substitute Eric Lavine blaze wide from close range - the breakthrough proved elusive. Athlone finished the 2008 season one position off the bottom of Division One. Longford finished one place higher. The old saying is that the league table doesn"t lie and, on the evidence of Saturday"s scrappy fare, that"s certainly the case. Despite the mild and mostly dry conditions, a poor crowd turned up to witness the curtain come down on the season. The Athlone line-up featured four changes from the team which started in the 7-0 defeat to Division One champions Dundalk a week earlier. Robbie Hamm, Joey Maloney, Nigel Keady and Dave O"Dowd were introduced, while Ian Rossiter, Kevin Dunne, Carmine Russo and Eric Lavine missed out on the starting eleven. Prior to kick-off, Colm Jinks was presented with the Athlone Town FC Player of the Year award, while at half-time the club"s independent supporters" trust (iSTAT) made a presentation to Robbie Benson marking the fact that, at the age of 16 years and 151 days, he became the youngest player ever to play for the club in the League of Ireland. A minute"s silence was also observed before the game in memory of Paddy Fallon (uncle of Athlone Town player Declan Fallon), Derek McVeigh and Nicky Seery. Jason McCartney proved to be Athlone"s best player on the night and he first caused problems for the visitors five minutes in, impressively skipping past two players before sending a cross into the box which was cut out by the Longford defence. Four minutes later, McCartney won a free kick on the corner of the box. Robbie Hamm"s cross came to nothing, and poor deliveries from set pieces proved a recurring problem for Athlone throughout. After 13 minutes, Noel McGee flicked a through ball in the direction of his strike partner, Dave O"Dowd, but there was a fraction too much pace on the pass and away "keeper Noel Gallagher was quickly off his line to make the clearance. Longford"s first chance of the game was also one of their best. It came from a Stephen Gough corner on thirteen minutes. Athlone goalie Ciaran Kelly came for the cross but Daire Doyle got there first to head just over the bar. Gough and Doyle again spearheaded the Longford attack two minutes later, Doyle connecting with his team-mate"s cross only to see the first-time shot sail over the bar. The impressive Doyle took advantage of some hesitancy in the Athlone defence to power his way into the box on 29 minutes, but Athlone"s Des Hope recovered well to slide in and block the shot on goal. By that stage the writing was already on the wall. 'This has the look of a 0-0 written all over it,' commented one perceptive observer. Five minutes before the interval, Dave O"Dowd won a free kick for Athlone in a good position at the edge of the box but Joey Maloney"s delivery was neither a cross nor a shot and was easily gathered by Gallagher. Athlone"s performance improved after the break. On 49 minutes, McCartney delivered a dangerous ball into the six yard area. O"Dowd slid in but failed to get the vital touch on it and Gallagher collected for Longford. A few minutes later Noel McGee - one of Athlone"s better performers on the night - tried his luck with a long range effort which was powerful but straight at the "keeper. Eric Lavine was then introduced in place of Dave O"Dowd and the veteran from Barbados had two excellent chances in the space of a minute. First McGee picked him out with a quickly-taken free kick on 58 minutes. Lavine"s shot had the goalie beaten but was cleared off the line by Stephen Brennan. Almost immediately, a Des Hope flick put the Lavine through on goal again. This was a gilt-edged chance but - aiming for the top corner - Lavine"s shot went high and wide. It was arguably the miss of the match. Much of the second half was characterised by sloppy play from both sides. A crude challenge by ex-Athlone Town player Ronan Frawley on Noel McGee, which earned Frawley a yellow card, was just one of several rough tackles flying in. In the 81st minute, Longford substitute Gary Murphy latched onto a loose ball and let fly, but his effort missed the mark. Athlone applied most of the pressure in the closing stages. Substitute Ian Coffey appeared to have been taken down in box after 87 minutes but the penalty shouts from the home players and supporters were waved away by referee Keith Callinan. The locals" last chance to end the season with a win came in the final minute, when Des Hope"s header from McCartney"s corner was saved. Dermot Lennon"s players were applauded off the field, but nobody was under the illusion that this was anything other than a game, and a season, best forgotten. Athlone Town: Ciaran Kelly, Robbie Egan, Robbie Hamm, Des Hope, Nigel Keady, Colm Jinks (capt), Joey Maloney (Ian Coffey, 77 mins), Philip Reilly, Dave O"Dowd (Eric Lavine, 57 mins), Noel McGee, Jason McCartney. Longford Town: Neil Gallagher, Stephen Gough, Alan O"Riordan, Ronan Frawley, Stephen Brennan, Luke Hardy, Daire Doyle, Damien Rushe (capt), Darren McKenna, Robert Douglas (Gary Murphy, 57 mins), Jason Aladele (Daithe Garry, 88 mins). Referee: Keith Callinan (Cork).