Athlone Town 0 - 1 Shelbourne

Mark Rutherford scored the only goal last May in Lissywoolen on Shelbourne's last visit to Athlone, and once again he was the hero for the visitors in a similar scoreline, albeit in a much more convincing and deserved victory.

With Philly Gorman taking sick in the team hotel just before the game, manager Dermot Keely was forced to ring the changes with both team captain Damien Brennan and James Keddy also missing, due to a family wedding and illness respectively. He opted for a three man attack with Anto Flood restored to the side supported by wide-men Rutherford and Gary McCabe, while Alan Byrne came in at centre-half. Dermot Lennon made just one change after last week's draw away to Waterford, bringing in Colm Jinks in place of Eric Lavine in his five man midfield.

Shelbourne dominated for most of the first half through some hard work and endeavour, but Town keeper Ciaran Kelly was in excellent form and thwarted all their best efforts with a commanding performance in his area.

The visitors continued in the same vein into the second half and finally made the breakthrough when Rutherford and Flood combined superbly on 58 minutes to score the vital goal. Athlone suffered a futher setback just five minutes later when referee Graham Kelly showed no hesitation in giving the red card to Robbie Hamm after he scythed down Gary McCabe in a horrendeous tackle. The Shels youngster, on loan from Bray, was immediately taken by ambulance to Tullamore hospital, but luckily was found to have no broken bones.

The home side did put the ball in the net on seventy four minutes but it was ruled out for offside. Shels might have added more to the scoreline with Mark OBrien, Flood and substitute Darren Forsyth all spurning clear-cut chances, but they survived a nervy final four minutes of added time, to go top of the league by the slenderest of margins with a one goal advantage on goal difference, over Dundalk.

Athlone Town: Ciaran Kelly; Ian Rossiter, Nigel Keady, Jim Sheridan, Robbie Hamm; Jason McCartney (Eric Lavine 64), Colm Jinks, Philip Reilly, Carmine Russo (Joey Maloney 46); Anthony Hayes (Noel McGee 46), David O'Dowd.
Subs not used: Richie Fitzgibbon.

Shelbourne: Dean Delany; Alan Murphy, Alan Keely, Alan Byrne, Robbie Hedderman; David McAllister, David McGill, Mark O'Brien; Gary McCabe (Darren Forsyth 65), Anto Flood, Mark Rutherford (James Chambers 83).
Subs not used: Vinny Whelan, Dean Lawrence, David Freeman.

Referee: Graham Kelly

Attendance: 741