League Preview: Athlone Town -v- Cobh Ramblers

ATHLONE TOWN

Athlone will be hoping to build on last week’s 1-1 draw away to Cabinteely when they welcome Cobh to the Athlone Town Stadium on Friday (KO 7:45PM).

A first half penalty by Ronan Manning was cancelled out by Cabo’s Christian Lotefa’s strike.

After the game Middlanders manager Adrian Carberry spoke to extratime.com’s Andrew Dempsey, revealing his delight at his players’ performance.

“When you come into the game off the back of a number of unlucky defeats, you’ll take a draw away to Cabinteely,” Carberry told extratime.com.

“They make it hard for teams to come here so not many teams come out of here with too many points too easily.”

At the time of uploading Athlone hadn’t released any team news. However, we do know that Lee Duffy is suspended.

COBH RAMBLERS

Cobh will be hoping to bounce back from last week’s 6-0 home defeat to UCD when they travel to Athlone on Friday.

Ramblers suffered the humiliating defeat at St Colman’s Park after second half braces from Colm Whelan and Yoyo Mahdy along with a Liam Kerrigan strike and a Ben O’Riordan own goal.

“It is obviously not the result we wanted,” Ashton said minutes from the final whistle last Saturday. “From our point of view this result was self-inflicted.

“We let a sloppy goal in and that is not what we have been about for the last couple of weeks. At one-nil they managed the game well and having man sent off made it hard for us.

“At two-nil we had a chance where we could have got one back. That would have made it a different game.

“We lost our organisation and we lost our concentration. We were out of the game and then we got sucker punched for it.”

Ashton isn’t expecting Athlone to make it easy for his side and understands that his side will have to work for any result.

“Any team in this division can get a result. Athlone won’t be an easy game. We just have to get back on the training ground and get the heads back up and we have to learn.”

Ramblers skipper John Kavanagh will miss the game through suspension after getting sent-off against UCD.

However, Ashton is expected to welcome back Pierce Phillips and Darragh Crowley after injury.

Referee: Marc Lynch

MATCH STATS

Last week’s 1-1 draw with Cabinteely was the first time that Athlone have avoided defeat in the First Division in five games.

Cobh’s 6-0 loss to UCD last Saturday was their first league loss in five games.

Athlone haven’t won a league game so far this season. They have played 11 games.

BETTING

Athlone Town 16/5; Draw 3/1; Cobh Ramblers 8/13.

PREDICTION

Athlone Town 1-2 Cobh Ramblers

Athlone Town

Injured: N/A.

Doubtful: N/A.

Suspended: Lee Duffy.

Cobh Ramblers

Injured: None.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: John Kavanagh.