Wexford Youths -v- Athlone Town

• Simon O'Gorman
• Thu, Oct 14 2010


Wexford Youths entertain Athlone Town at Ferrycarrig Park on Friday night in an Airtricity First Division game that has little at stake bar the pride of the participants. (Kick-off, 8pm)

It has been a season of wildly differing fortunes for Wexford who have had their good days, notably when they scored five against both Limerick and Mervue, and their bad days, when they conceded five against Derry City. They also leaked four against Monaghan United on two separate occasions.

Losing the promising young winger Jimmy Keohane to Bristol City along the way won’t have helped but in general Noel O’Connor has maintained a steady core of players with Gary Sheahan and Shane Dempsey proving vital to the Youths performances throughout the year.

Athlone Town enter this game on the back of news that manager Brendan Place will be leaving at the end of the season. It’s hard to know how this will affect the players over their final three games but the club have had a disappointing end to the season and the suspicion must be that motivation will be at a premium in the visitor’s dressing room.

Athlone’s last six games have yielded three draws and three defeats but with only one win in their last sixteen league outings it is unsurprising that they lie tenth in the table and without any real sense of purpose now that the season’s end is here.

This appears to be one for the die-hards so here’s hoping the sides can generate something of interest for what is likely to be a small crowd.



Wexford Youths
Injured: Not available.
Doubtful: Not available.
Suspended: Not available.

Athlone Town
Injured: Niall Scullion, Gordon Watson, Richie O'Hanlon.
Doubtful: None.
Unavailable: Eoghan O'Shea (international duty - Irish Military).
Suspended: David Breen, Declan O'Brien.

Referee: R Daly.

Extratime prediction: A 2-1 win for a more motivated Wexford.