Shelbourne 3 - 3 Athlone Town

Five second-half goals and two red cards entertained the fans at Tolka Park tonight as Shelbourne narrowly won a point against a stubborn Athlone side. Jason McCartney gave the visitors a surprise early lead however Darren Forsyth nabbed two goals in a minute just after the break to turn the tie. John Mernagh then replied with an equaliser before he added Athlone’s third with five minutes to play, after Gary McCabe and Jim Sheridan had been earlier sent off. Mark Rutherford’s eighty eighth minute goal however levelled the scores earning Shels’ a late and very entertaining point.

Shels’ almost lead from the start when David Freeman tried his luck from a free kick in only the second minute, however his surprise effort flew just wide. Shels’ were more comfortable than the visitors at the start, which made Athlone’s opening goal even more surprising.

After nine minutes Nigel Keady had time out wide to play an easy ball to John Mernagh’s feet, free at the penalty spot. Before Shels’ could get a block in the striker blasted his effort off the bar, however the ball dropped kindly for Jason McCartney to stride in and pass the ball into an empty net.

Less than three minutes later and Mernagh was in behind the Shels’ high defence but Delaney was alert in goal and cleared the danger with the hosts really struggling to hold onto the ball.

A slice of luck, however, fell the way of Shelbourne on twenty minutes when Ciaran Kelly’s poor touch in the Athlone goal was chased down and won by Forsyth. The striker had plenty of time and just the keeper to beat but after messing about for a bit, amazingly he couldn’t force the ball into the net as Athlone poured back to block the goal.

Athlone were sitting deep, content to counter attack, leaving Shels’ with plenty of the ball however efforts from Rutherford, Gorman and Forsyth again failed to make an impression. At the other end, Mernagh was a handful for Damien Brennan, chasing every ball and keeping the pressure on the Shels’ defence for most of the half.

The Dublin side came out firing in the second half though, with Forsyth banging in two goals in under a minute. First, a hopeful Robbie Hedderman long ball was well won by Forsyth who ran at goal and coolly finished from six yards. From the next passage of play, McCabe worked well with James Chambers down the right, before crossing the ball right onto the unmarked Forsyth’s head to finish again, with Athlone all over the place.

However they came rattling back with a well-worked goal from Mernagh ten minutes later. Jason McCartney started the move near the halfway line before he found Ian Coffey free in the area with a simple pass. Coffey then adjusted and shot against the post with Mernagh pouncing to net the equaliser.

In the sixty eighth minute tempers flared when McCabe felt he was fouled. However, taking the law into his own hands, he appeared to raise a hand to Keady. He dropped to the ground after the apparent incident, however luckily for Athlone, the Keady family and Beaumont Hospital, he was fine once the red card was shown to McCabe, safe in the knowledge that Shels’ had to chase a win with only ten men for the final twenty minutes.

Ten minutes later and Jim Sheridan was following McCabe down the tunnel. Philly Gorman was in behind the Athlone defence when Sheridan cynically bundled him down for his second yellow, priming the teams for a grandstand finale.

And with five minutes to go the travelling fans were the happier as the impressive Mernagh bagged his second after a slick counter attack saw him in on goal, allowing him a simple finish. However two minutes later and the scores were level again with Mark Rutherford’s cross from the left bobbling its way into the goal.

It didn’t end there though as Mernagh again countered for Athlone with only moments to go however this time his shot was palmed wide.

Shelbourne: Dean Delany; James Chambers, Robbie Hedderman, Damien Brennan, Mark Rutherford; David Freeman (Gary McCabe 33), Mark O’Brien, David McAllister (David McGill 63), James Keddy; Darren Forsyth, Philip Gorman.
Subs not used: Fred Davis Jnr, Dean Lawrence, Alan Byrne.

Athlone Town: Ciaran Kelly; Ian Rossiter, Nigel Keady, Jim Sheridan, Philip Reilly; Joey Maloney, Colm Jinks, Carmine Russo, Jason McCartney (Declan Fallon 58); Eric Lavine (Ian Coffey 52), John Mernagh.
Subs not used: Anthony Hayes, Robbie Hamm, Richie Fitzgibbon.

Referee: Conor Fitzgerald.

Attendance: 641

Extratime Man of the Match: John Mernagh (Athlone Town).