Mervue United 2 - 2 Athlone Town

Mervue United’s promotion hopes were dealt the cruellest of cruel blows at Fahy’s Field on Friday night as referee Ray Matthews wrongly awarded Athlone Town a penalty deep in stoppage time. Matthews’ dreadful error allowed Roddy Collins’s men to come away with an undeserved 2-2 draw.

A mostly uneventful match was thrown into disarray just moments from the final whistle after Matthews pointed to the spot to the dismay of the vast majority in attendance. The referee deemed that Athlone’s Barry Clancy was fouled in the box but this reporter, who felt it was harsh decision, has been told that the video evidence clearly shows Clancy lunging towards the ball both feet, not Joe Woods (who had his back to the play) fouling Clancy as the ref saw it. If that’s true why the referee pointed to the spot is beyond me. Philip Gorman dispatched the outrageous penalty with ease sending Brian O’Donoghue the wrong way.

An own goal from Mervue’s Marc Ludden gave Athlone a first-half lead but Stephen Walsh scored both the home side’s goals in a largely forgettable match that showed little in way of quality and entertainment value.

The opening exchanges between the sides were a scrappy affair with neither goalkeeper seeing any worthwhile action. Johnny Glynn’s side persisted with the long ball while Town tried enterprising ground football.

Neither team made any noteworthy chances until the 26^th minute when Athlone’s Philip Gorman whipped in a cross from the left and Marc Ludden, on his return to first-team action, bundled the ball into his own net under pressure from Ian Sweeney.

Mervue equalised minutes later when a floated corner-kick made its way to Walsh and his strike, from just inside the box, somehow ended in the corner of the net to level things up.

The game momentarily sparked into life as the home team began to create some half-chances. Ludden’s delivery’s from set-pieces was causing Town trouble at the back but no sooner had the game livened up, it had returned to the tit-for-tat exchanges that dominated the fixture.

The second-half went along much the same lines as the opening period as both sides looked cagey in attack for most of the match.

Mervue goalkeeper Brian O’Donoghue was in fine form and his point blank save from Gorman’s header kept the home side in the tie on 55 minutes. In truth the striker should have buried his effort. Ryan Manning was quieter than normal and his over the head effort was easily cleared up by Athlone stopper Paul Skinner at the other end.

Manning then found space between both of Athlone’s central defenders but his diving header sailed around the post and wide on the hour mark.

Four minutes later Mervue broke the deadlock thanks to another Walsh left-footed drive, this time from 25 yards out. Similar to his first goal, his strike dipped and dived then took a deflection on its way to beating Skinner into the bottom corner. That was the defenders third goal in two games.

Athlone began to throw everything they had at Mervue and O’Donoghue was called onto to make two more vital saves from Ian Sweeney and then Mark Hughes. In response to the pressure Mervue started to counter-attack when possible and maybe Johnny Glynn’s team will rue not securing a third goal. The closest they got was from a Joe Woods cross that found Jason Molloy coming in at the back post but the winger could only smash his effort into the side netting on 78 minutes.

As the minutes ticked away it looked as if Mervue would hold on and condemn Athlone to their third successive away defeat under Roddy Collins. The midlands club had one last throw of the dice and when O’Donoghue saved yet again from Ian Sweeney it seemed the danger had past.

However, as the loose ball rebounded off the goalkeeper Clancy dived towards the ball and Matthews shockingly awarded the penalty which Gorman dispatched to secure a share of the points and a dramatic finish. In the coming months Mervue will hope that the two points dropped will not be the difference between promotion or remaining in Division One.

Mervue United: Brian O’Donoghue; Joe Woods, Michael McSweeney, Stephen Walsh, Marc Ludden; Tom King (Capt) Noel Varley, Gary Curran, Jason Molloy; Brendan Lavelle (Gary Shanahan 78), Ryan Manning.
Subs not used: Shane Keogh, Gary Kelly, Alex Lee, Kenny Farrell, Mike Elwood, Conor Glesson (GK).

Bookings: Varley (67), Ludden (82), Walsh (94), Woods (94)

Athlone Town; Paul Skinner; Roddy Collins Jnr, Robbie Clarke, Aidan Collins, Barry Clancy; Ian Sweeney, Mark Hughes, Garvan Broughall, Ryan Coombes (Warren Conroy 86); Philip Gorman, Garbhan Coughlan (Lee Dixon 79).
Subs not used: Neil Harney, Toyeeb Mustapha, Jonathan Kielty, Niall Scullion, Craig Sexton (GK)

Bookings: Philip Gorman (66).

Referee: Ray Matthews.

Attendance: 277

Extratime Man of the Match: Stephen Walsh (Mervue Utd).