League Report: Waterford United 1 - 1 Athlone Town

Waterford United and Athlone Town opened up their First Division campaigns with a 1-1 draw at the RSC on Friday night.

Waterford’s Shane Nolan opened the 2015 season with a bang, finding the top corner with a spectacular 95^th minute half-volley from the edge of the box to cancel out Garbhan Coughlan’s first-half strike for Athlone. It was Nolan’s error that had gifted the visitors their lead and he was ecstatic to make amends in such dramatic fashion, as well as earning his team an ultimately deserved share of the spoils.

It was a game in thrall to a powerful wind - a wind which was very much in the visitors’ favour in the opening half. Athlone started brightly, with Coughlan forcing Matthew Connor to tip over his 25-yard dipping drive after just two minutes. They came even closer ten minutes later when Daniel Purdy found space to shoot on the right corner of the Waterford box. The wide-man pulled his low effort inches wide of Connor’s far post, with the Blues goalkeeper rooted to the spot.

The home side grew into the game gradually and began to find some confidence in their play, albeit without much cutting edge. Athlone almost punished them after 17 minutes, when Coughlan hooked a left-wing cross over his own head and, crucially, the crossbar. Returnee Jack Doherty looked by far the brightest of Waterford’s players with his direct dribbling and weight of pass, and he almost opened the scoring with a curling free-kick mid-way through the half which rose just slightly too high.

By now both teams were attempting to account for the strong gales and the game became more attritional as the half drew to a close. It seemed destined for a scoreless interval before Nolan ill-advisedly attempted to head back to his goalkeeper with Coughlan lurking. The lively forward reacted quickly to divert the ball beyond Connor for his first goal of the season.

The second forty-five was much the same as the first, though now Waterford had the wind at their backs. The hosts sought to take advantage by playing more directly but without any real success. Athlone continued to be organised and threatening – particularly on the flanks – and it seemed more and more as though that first-half goal would prove decisive.

Shane Dineen was making his league debut for Waterford at centre-half and he had the confidence to try his luck from halfway, requiring Shane Cusack to uncomfortably palm the ball over his crossbar. Dineen was seeing plenty of the ball with Waterford pushing further forward and they really began to turn the screw in the final 20 minutes. With the visitors dropping deep, cross after cross was delivered and dealt with; the Athlone rear guard impenetrable.

With 88 minutes played, Cusack came for a high ball to his back post and was beaten to it by Waterford substitute Patrick Fitzgerald. The ensuing scramble to force the ball over the line was thwarted repeatedly before Doherty spun this way then that and shot high from a tight angle only to find Cusack equal to his effort.

The pressure on the away goal came to a crescendo as the game entered stoppage time, when Dineen angled a ball beyond the visitors back-line to pick out the run of Anthony McAlavey, but the midfielder’s header was right at Cusack. With that chance seemed to go Waterford’s last hope of earning a point, until Athlone’s concession of a late, late corner.

Doherty swung his cross deep to the far post, beyond the throng of players jostling beneath the crossbar, where it was headed to the only man (except Connor) positioned outside the box. Nolan wound up as the ball rose and caught it with as pure a connection as he could have dreamed; the ball whistling off his boot to find the top corner of Cusack’s net.

The home fans were enraptured and hailed their team’s perseverance while the visiting supporters were left to rue the timing of Waterford’s moment of true quality.

Waterford United: Matthew Connor; Dylan Mernagh (Patrick Fitzgerald 70), Craig Burns, Shane Dineen, Shaun Corcoran; Ethan Boyle (Bobbi Donoghue 76), Anthony McAlavey, Shane Nolan, Sean Hurley (Mikie Rowe 68); Jack Doherty, Willie John Kiely.
Subs not used: Robert Birdsall (gk), Glen Hawe, Thomas Croke, Anthony O’Donnell.

Booked: Doherty (84).

Athlone Town: Shane Cusack; Stephen Quigley, Philip Hand, Stephen Dunne, Aidan Collins; Gavin Boyne, Daniel Purdy, Thomas Mulroney, Michael Browne; Derek Doyle (Sam O’Connor 78), Garbhan Coughlan.
Subs not used: Eric Foley, Paddy Dunican, Ryan Doolin, Gary Burke, Garreth Brady.

Booked: Doyle (35), Quigley (39).

Referee: Michael O’Connor
Attendance: 565
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Aidan Collins (Athlone Town)