League Report: Athlone Town 3 - 1 Cabinteely FC

Athlone Town leapfrogged Cabinteely in the SSE Airtricity League First Division table on Friday evening as a Marco Chindea hat-trick helped The Midlanders to their first win of the season with a 3-1 victory.

Cabinteely were hoping to avoid a fifth league defeat on the bounce and looked to have gained the initiative when Shane Boyle gave the away side the lead in the 15th minute.

However, Cabinteely failed to make the advantage count and it wasn’t long before Marco Chindea stepped up to the penalty spot and grabbed Athlone a timely equaliser five minutes later.  

With the sides tied at half time both teams knew the next goal was crucial as the teams were level on four points at the foot of the table before the game. In the 53rd minute Chindea slotted home to give the home side the edge in a tightly fought encounter.

Chindea’s last goal for Athlone was an injury time equaliser against Drogheda United back in March and was now looking to make a claim for the match ball. As the game passed the 70th minute mark, Chindea duly fired in his third goal of the game and fifth of the season to put the game out of Cabinteely’s reach.

Cabinteely tried to get back into the game as Shane Heffernan replaced Ollie Hamzat with ten minutes to go but it was to no avail as Athlone condemned Cabinteely to a fifth straight league defeat.

Athlone Town: Evan Moran, Ian Fletcher, Calvin Douglas, Simon Dixon, Jack Tuite, Val Feeney, Marco Chindea (Ross Purdy 90’), David Cassidy, Alan O’ Sullivan, Emeka Onwubiko (Conor Barry 75’), Daniel Purdy (Adam Kelly 89’)

Subs Not Used: Daniel Molloy, Kevin Farragher, Sean Nolan

Booked: None. 

Cabinteely: Michael Kelly, Michael Brown, Kevin Knight Edward McDonagh, Sean Burke, Oscar Brennan, Shane Boyle, Karl Byrne, Ollie Hmazat (Shane Heffernan 81’), Joe Doyle, Ben Hanrahan

Subs Not Used: Aaron Brilly, Lloyd Cairns, Mark Slater, Andrew Wall

Booked: None. 

Referee: Kevin O’Regan

Attendance: 151.

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Marco Chindea (Athlone Town)