PREVIEW: Sporting Fingal vs Athlone Town

• Turlough Kelly
• Sun, Mar 16 2008




Liam Buckley's side may have succumbed to opening night nerves in last week's 1-5 trouncing away to Longford Town, but the Sporting Fingal manager is confident the new club's home fans will witness an immeasurably improved performance against Athlone Town on Sunday afternoon. Buckley told the club's website that "we are all determined to put that result behind us and produce a major improvement on Sunday."

Last week's result was a jolting reminder of the difficulties inherent in forming a team from scratch in a matter of months, but Fingal have a prime opportunity to catch their own opponents cold this afternoon. Athlone's scheduled opening fixture against Kildare was postponed last Saturday due to a waterlogged pitch. They'll encounter a Sporting side imbued with a strong desire to make amends for an undisciplined and at times unprofessional debut in Longford. Brian Gannon and David Bracken, both dismissed at Flancare Park, are suspended for the fixture, but marquee signing Robbie Doyle is eligible after serving an outstanding suspension from last season. His additional firepower should supplement that provided by Peter Hynes, whose spectacular long-range goal was the solitary high spot in last week's capitulation.

Dermot Lennon's Athlone are still, after the upheaval of the close season, something of an unknown quantity but should possess enough nous and experience to frustrate Fingal if that proves to extent of their ambition.

With characteristic flair, Fingal have arranged a fleet of special buses from the club's North County heartland to its somewhat remote domicile at Morton Stadium, Santry for today's fixture. Those availing of the offer stand a better than evens chance of witnessing an inaugural victory for the eircom League's newest inductees.