Athlone Town 0 - 1 Cork City

• Simon O'Gorman
• Sat, Sep 04 2010


Cork City took the points in Athlone on Saturday night as a Shane Duggan goal proved the only difference between the sides despite a plethora of wasted chances from the visitors and a red card for Athlone’s Brian McCarthy.

Duggan was the key man for Cork in an opening half that offered little in the way of enterprising football. Duggan gave a warning to the Athlone defence in the 25th minute when his free kick was tipped onto the post and away for a corner by ‘keeper Michael Schlingermann.

Having taken a moment to get needlessly booked for a block on Kieran Moloney, Duggan then returned to the danger area. Picking the ball up on the edge of the box he wriggled his way towards goal before sliding the ball under Schlingermann and into the Athlone net.

It was a lead that Cork took into half time and was well deserved given that it was they who created the bulk of the chances. Davin O’Neill volleyed high over the bar as early as the fourth minute after an excellent cross-field ball from Graham Barrett. Ian Turner should have done better than shoot weakly at Schlingermann in the 32nd minute when set free by a clever Graham Cummins back-heel.

It was a half that Cork dominated, playing some nice passing football in rare bursts, but all too often they let themselves down with badly misplaced passes. The visitors broke quickly and created space on the flanks but Tommy Dunne will surely be concerned that this was not translated into pressure on the Athlone goal.

The second half began with more wasted chances from Cork as Cambridge and then O’Neill failed to convert in the opening minutes. In the 52nd minute Brian McCarthy almost showed the Cork boys how to do it, directing a corner towards his own goal and he was only saved from deep embarrassment by a superb Schlingermann save.

Then, with an hour played, Athlone’s task became monumental. McCarthy checked the progress of O’Neill as he drove towards the box and both players hit the turf; O’Neill hurt, the already booked McCarthy in a desperate attempt to hide from referee Jim McKell. The ruse failed and McCarthy departed for an early bath.

There followed a period of intense pressure from Cork. Chances fell to Cummins, whose 20 yard shot was athletically turned over by Schlingermann, and Gareth Cambridge, who was once again brilliantly denied by the Athlone ‘keeper. The Cork profligacy just wouldn’t end and a succession of half chances were wasted.

With twenty minutes remaining the heavens opened and as a biblical deluge descended the home side finally found some steam. Austin Skelly, Robbie Farrell and Niall Scullion all came on and a new spirit arose.

Declan O’Brien forced two excellent saves from McNulty in the Cork goal as the tide turned. A Scullion shot was spilled wide by McNulty and it seemed as if the impossible might happen. But as the final whistle approached it was Cork who picked up the pace. Several more chances arrived at Cork feet but a combination of poor shooting and the able Schlingermann kept the dying moments scoreless.

Athlone Town: Michael Schlingermann; Mark Nolan, Brian McCarthy, David Breen, Des Hope; Gareth Kenna, Jason Hughes, Shane Fitzgerald (Niall Scullion, 72), Kieran Moloney (Austin Skelly, 52); Declan O’Brien, Andy Haran (Robbie Farrell, 78).
Subs not used: Scott Gaynor, Paddy Collins.
Bookings: McCarthy (17), Haran (45), Kenna (45), Breen (90).
Sendings off: McCarthy (60).

Cork City Foras: Mark McNulty; Ian Turner, Greg O’Halloran, Gavin Kavanagh, Neal Horgan; Davin O’Neill, Shane Duggan, Cillian Lordan, Graham Barrett (Gearoid Morrissey, 80); Gareth Cambridge (George O’Callaghan, 80), Graham Cummins.
Subs not used: Jonas Piechnik, Eoghan Lougheed, Kieran Keneally.
Bookings: Duggan (27).

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Michael Schlingermann.
Referee:Jim McKell.
Attendance: 150 (estimate).