- Extratime Team
- Sat, Mar 18 2023
A late strike from defender Noah van Geenan ensured a share of the spoils for ten man Athlone Town in a pulsating two all home draw with Treaty United.
Shorn of their talismanic skipper Marc Ludden, the Limerickmen suffered another blow prior to kick off with inventive attacker Willie Armshaw having to withdraw in the warm-up. Ex Cork City midfielder Alec Byrne made his first league start for Tommy Barrett's outfit while Christopher returned to the starting lineup after replacing Ludden during last week's 3-0 defeat to Cobh Ramblers.
For their part, Athlone Town made a single change to their starting lineup following last week's narrow defeat to Waterford - Donal Curtin replacing Jack Kavanagh in defence, a substitution last week now repeated in a starting capacity.
The opening period saw both sides create a number of opportunities to open the scoring with Athlone twice going close in the first ten minutes. The away side settled into the game well and Byrne almost marked his maiden start for the club with an assist but his centre was cleared. Ex Wexford attacking midfielder Conor Barry went a step closer as his effort flew past Enda Minogue's woodwork but failed to threaten the ex Bohs Academy netminder.
However, it was the home side who held the upper hand in terms of creating opportunities and continued to dominate the play, although despite this Treaty stopper Shane Hallahan didn't have a save of note in the first half. The second half was a different story however and former Athlone Town striker Enda Curran - sporting the captain's armband for Treaty in place of Ludden - opened the scoring with five minutes gone.
Success Edogun, who swapped Town for Treaty last season, knocked the ball towards the Athlone box and Curran swooped to send to the net for his second goal of the season- despite home protests regarding the possibility of an offside call for the striker.
Things went from bad to worse for the midlands outfit within a few minutes as Jamal Campion- Hinds received his second yellow card of the second half following a tackle on Lee Devitt. With the American having played a role in half of his side's six league goals this season- scoring twice and recording a single assist- Athlone's backs were firmly up against the wall.
At 1-0, they had a chance to level the tie but Hallahan's acrobatics thwarted Pierrot and Athlone's misery was compounded further when that man Curran struck again with twenty minutes remaining to leave Dermot Lennon's men with the very real prospect of going three games without a win, since recording back to back victories in their opening two fixtures of the campaign. Barry's corner kick found Anto O'Donnell, he in turn located Curran and the marksman made no mistake in the Athlone box to double the lead.
However, the home side created a chink of hope for themselves with Isaie Louis' first league goal for the club. The teenager following in the footsteps of ex Finn Harps and Sligo Rovers attacker Pascal Millien and becoming one of the small group of Haitians to score in the League of Ireland- the assist coming from his teammate Franz Pierrot, a third member of the select group after netting a brace on his debut against Longford Town.
Having survived a number of Treaty United opportunities to extend their lead, the Blue and Black now saw a point as being within their grasp and grab it they did. Deep, deep, deep into injury time at the end of the game, Dutch defender Noah van Geenan atoned for his part in an earlier concession to find the net, courtesy of a deflected effort, and claim an unlikely point for his side.
Tommy Barrett's men will travel back to the Treaty City knowing that the first win of the league season was merely moments away- if they are to have a promotion push as they've done over the past two seasons it needs to arrive soon. For Athlone, though it was a game they dominated in spells, to take a result after being a man and two goals down with less than a third of the game remaining has to be seen as a point gained rather than two dropped.
Athlone Town: Enda Minogue; Haji Abdikadir (Valerij Dolia 66), Donal Curtin (Oisin Duffy 46), German Rodriguez, Noah van Geenan; Jamar Campion-Hinds, Aaron Connolly, Patrick Hickey, Isaie Louis, Charles Mutawe (Adam Lennon 65); Frantz Pierrot.
Subs not used: Vladislav Velikin, Matthew Leal, Nazar Zubkov, Aaron McBride, Blake Ryan, Matthew McCarrick.
Booked: Donal Curtin (19), Jamar Campion-Hinds (47), Jamar Campion-Hinds (55), German Rodriguez (73).
Sent off: Jamar Campion-Hinds (55).
Treaty United: Shane Hallahan; Lee Devitt Molloy, Anthony O'Donnell, Ben O'Riordan, Andy Spain; Conor Barry (Colin Kelly 90), Alec Byrne, Stephen Christopher (Martin Coughlan 90), Success Edogun (Colin Conroy 76), Mark Walsh; Enda Curran (Fionn Doherty 79).
Subs not used: Joshua Coady, Scott Kirkland, Darren Collins, Josh Quinlivan.
Booked: Alec Byrne (75), Colin Conroy (90).
Sent off: None.
Referee: Alan Patchell
