Shelbourne -v- Athlone Town

• Simon O'Gorman
• Thu, Jun 23 2011


Top of the table Shelbourne welcome Athlone Town to Tolka Park on Friday night as they seek to extend their lead and consolidate their position as favourites to win promotion to the Premier Division. (Kick off, 8pm)

Shels boss Alan Mathews has a full squad to choose from on Friday night with no injuries or suspensions hindering his preparations and the Drumcondra side will be brimming with confidence after last weekend’s comprehensive defeat of fellow promotion candidates Limerick FC.

Shelbourne left Jackman Park with a 3-0 win under the belts to extend their unbeaten league run to eight games. It is a spell in which they have conceded just one goal, against Cork City in a 1-1 draw at Tolka Park, while scoring an impressive 13 themselves.

Shelbourne will also be buoyed by the fact that, in their last meeting with Athlone, the ran out comfortable 4-0 winners at Lissywoollen. Another reason for confidence, as if it were needed, will be the spread of goal-scorers. Midfielder David Cassidy and wide man Conan Byrne have both bagged seven league goals so far while striker Philly Hughes has managed eight.

Athlone, meanwhile, lie eighth in the table, 19 points behind their hosts. Mike Kerley’s men have managed only one win in their last seven league outings, losing five. In that time they have registered only three goals, a total which includes an og and a penalty. However, despite the damning statistics, all is not necessarily as bleak as it may seem.

Throughout the campaign manager Mike Kerley has made a virtue out of his squad’s various shortcomings, giving opportunities to several stars of the club’s underage system and adding a degree of defensive bloody mindedness in lieu of a confident attack. So far Athlone have achieved six clean sheets from their 15 league games, a surprising total for a side so far down the table. For the sake of comparison, Shelbourne have managed just two more.

Of course, seven of Shelbourne’s shutouts have come in their last eight games and it should be added that when Athlone do concede they tend to do it in style; they have conceded three or more goals on four occasions.

But Kerley has added wisely to his young squad in recent weeks. Striker Dave Ryan and defender Wayne Colbert have both joined from Limerick side Pike Rovers, while midfielder Jason Hughes (who has recent league experience with both Limerick and Athlone) has also joined from the ranks of junior football.

But, perhaps most significantly, striker Noel McGee has also resigned for the club having spent the past year with local side St Peters. McGee is a natural goal-scorer, a point he proved by netting the equaliser against derby rivals Longford Town last weekend in his first game back in the blue and black stripes.

It’s difficult to predict how effective these changes will prove to be against the division’s top side but it would not be a huge surprise to see Athlone improve markedly in the latter half of the season.

Shelbourne
Injured: None.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.

Athlone Town
Injured: Garry Higgins, Brendan Daly.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.

Referee: Darren Coombes.
Paddy Power Odds: Shels 1/8; Draw 6/1; Athlone 14/1.
Extratime prediction: McGee to make his presence felt but Shels to win 2-1.