Preview: Wexford Youths vs Athlone Town

• Gareth Penrose
• Thu, Apr 17 2008




Athlone Town travel to Ferrycarrig Park to take on Wexford Youths on Friday, with both sides looking to build on last week’s positive results. On Tuesday night, Athlone managed to secure a point against bottom of the table Kildare County, whilst Wexford Youths got their first away win of the season versus Monaghan last Friday.

Mick Wallace has a full squad to choose from for the second week running and will be looking to leap frog Athlone Town and create a winning run for his young side.

"We had a great win last weekend against Monaghan so we need to build on that and put a string of results together now," Wallace said.

"The lads have been playing well all season but this win, and to move off the bottom of the table, was a real boost for the team. We need to be beating teams around us like Athlone at home as well, so it's a big game for us."

Athlone Town will go into the game without the services of Ciaran Kelly, who is suffering a shoulder injury, and Jim Sheridan who is currently on honeymoon. Nigel Keady (chest infection) and Des Hope (calf) will both undergo late fitness tests.

The Wexford Youths game for Athlone Town is the third game in seven days and the manager Dermot Lennon is aware that it is a tough schedule on his players, many of whom have recently made the step up from junior to eircom League football.

“It’s a busy week, and it’s very hard for these fellows to come up from junior football and play three League of Ireland games which they’ve done. We’ve had to do it for the simple reason there’s so many bodies been injured and in fairness they’ve all stepped up, there’s no fellow shying off, there’s no-one saying they’re injured when he’s not injured, everybody’s working hard, but that’s what we are, hopefully we can go down to Wexford, it’s going be tough on Friday, there’s a lot of tired legs and bruised knees and bruised shins out there, but, hopefully we’ll be ok for Friday.”

Speaking ahead about the visit to Wexford he said “It’s always been tough, but they’re a tough side. Last season was obviously the first season we were down there, I don’t think we had any easy game, I think in the first half we tended to make a bit of space play the ball around but always in the second half they tended to batter us and I don’t see it being any different on Friday.”

Kick off in Ferrycarrig Park is 8pm.