FAI CUP Preview: Athlone Town -v- Liffey Wanderers

• Fran Reilly
• Sat, May 30 2015




ATHLONE TOWN

Athlone Town boss Alan Mathews will take charge of the club at home for the first time this weekend as junior side Liffey Wanderers travel to Lissywollen for their second round FAI Cup tie.

 

Former Bray Wanderers boss Mathews took up the managerial position – vacated by Eddie Wallace – shortly after watching the Midlanders' 3-2 home defeat to Shelbourne. Mathews' first game in charge was against Wexford Youths last week, but it didn't quite go to plan. In fact, it didn't even reach 90 minutes.

 

The match in Ferrycarrig Park had to be abandoned at half-time with the score at 2-0 to the hosts after a generator caught fire in the ground. So officially, Saturday's game will be recognized as Mathews' first in charge of his new club – and it comes in a competition which has been unkind to Athlone in recent years.

 

The Town are without a FAI Cup win in six years and have only won three games in the competition in the last ten years. Last season saw them eliminated in the second round by Midlands rivals Longford Town in a 2-0 defeat at Lissywollen.

 

Mathews will most likely have to plan for the tricky tie with Liffey Wanderers without the services of joint-top goalscorer this season Philly Gorman. The experienced striker has struggled with a knee injury in recent weeks and hasn't featured since scoring the 86^th minute equaliser in the 1-1 draw UCD, which proved to be Wallace's last game in charge.

 

Athlone will also be without Eric Foley who left the club during week following the termination of his contract at his own request.

 

LIFFEY WANDERERS

Leinster Senior League side Liffey Wanderers will appear in this season's FAI Cup after winning the FAI Junior Cup at the Aviva Stadium. The Pearse Street outfit claimed an FAI Cup berth by virtue of reaching the last four of Ireland's largest Junior cup competition and their reward is a tie against League of Ireland side Athlone Town.

 

Wanderers won their first ever FAI Junior Cup against all the odds by defeating local rivals Sheriff YC, who themselves had claimed victory in two of the previous three Junior Cup finals. John Young's side earned a 2-1 victory after extra-time in a dramatic tie.

 

Sheriff were reduced to ten men in the 92^nd minute of stoppage time when John Rock was sent off with Wanderers leading 1-0 through Lee Roche's 7^th minute goal – but Sheriff scored an equaliser seconds from the full-time whistle thanks to John Lester. To their credit, Wanderers didn't crumble and they sealed the victory for sure thanks to Stephen O'Callaghan's first-half extra-time goal.

 

It has been a good campaign for Young's side who have also secured Intermediate football for next season after guaranteeing a top three league finish – they are currently locked in a three-way battle for the LSL Major Sunday title with Portlaoise and Tullamore Town, with Wanderers having games in hand over their rivals.

 

With Athlone having a poor FAI Cup record in recent years – which includes elimination to another non-league club, Bluebell United, in 2013 – Wanderers will fancy their chances of causing an upset this weekend.

 

Referee: John McLoughlin.

 

MATCH STATS

Athlone Town have only won three FAI Cup ties in the last ten years. The Midlands side's last victory in the competition was in June 2009 when goals from Stephen Place and Brian Cleary gave Athlone a 2-1 victory. Dave O'Riordan netted Kildare's consolation goal.

 

Athlone's last home win in the cup came the season before, a 2-1 win over Finn Harps in June 2008. On this occasion, it was Colm Jinks and Robbie Hamm who got on the scoresheet, with Michael Funston netting for Harps.

 

Athlone have twice been on the receiving end of a giant killing by a non-league club in the FAI Cup. In the 1927-28 competition, they were beaten 9-3 by Drumcondra in the first round – a result which remains the record winning margin for a non-league side over a League of Ireland club. In 2013, Bluebell United beat Athlone 3-2 after extra-time of a replay – the first tie had ended 2-2 in John Hyland Park.

 

BETTING

Athlone Town 4/9; Draw 11/4; 6/1.

 

PREDICTION

2-1.

 

Athlone Town

Injured: None.

Doubtful: Philly Gorman.

Suspended: None.

 

Liffey Wanderers

Injured: Unknown.

Doubtful: Unknown.

Suspended: None.