- Simon O'Gorman
- Fri, Mar 24 2023
A late goal from substitute Valerij Dolia decided this game in favour of Athlone Town at a wet and windy Mounthawk Park on Friday night, leaving Kerry still winless after six games.
A strong wind aided Kerry in the opening half with Leo Gaxha offering the greatest threat for the home side but there were few clear chances for either side.
In truth the opening period was a scrappy one with the quality of the football hamperd by the conditions. But with the wind at their backs Kerry dominated possession.
Gaxha’s first chance came on 23 minutes when his shot on the turn was deflected away from goal, and the same player nearly pulled off an ambitious overhead kick a minute from half-time, but the effort lacked the required accuracy.
Athlone’s best chance fell to Isaie Louis who fired over after a spell of concerted pressure after half an hour.
The break saw the wind advantage switch in Athlone’s favour and they duly assumed control of the game with Louis showing great strength on the ball to create a point blank opening for striker Frantz Pierrot but his shot was cleared off the Kerry goal-line.
Kerry again survived a goal-line clearance on 57 minutes when Pierrot created a chance for Louis who’s close range shot was somehow pushed away by Wayne Guthrie.
Pierrot then tested Guthrie himself two minutes later before another Pierrot shot was cleared off the line, this time by Graham O’Reilly.
It looked like Athlone had finally made their dominance pay when Haji Abdikadir turned in Patrick Hickey’s headed cross on 86 minutes but Hickey was judged to have fouled his man in the build up and Kerry survived.
But it was to be a very brief reprieve. Just two minutes later Pierrot held the ball up in a central position before spotting substitute Valerij Dolia to his left. He rolled the ball to the Ukrainian who had all the time in the world to take a touch and then drill the ball low past Guthrie.
Five minutes of added time were not enough for Kerry to find their way back into the game and they duly suffered their fifth defeat of the season while Athlone ended a run of three winless matches.
Kerry: Wayne Guthrie; Graham O’Reilly, Kevin Williams, Shane Guthrie, Jonathan Hannafin, Sean O’Connell (Cian Brosnan 90+3); Matt Keane, Ronan Teahan; Nathan Gleeson (Sean McGrath 86), Leo Gaxha (Sean Kennedy 65); Ryan Kelliher (Kennedy Amechi 90+3).
Subs Not Used: Aaron O’Sullivan (gk), Kalen Spillane, Cian Barrett, Togor Silong, Alex Ainscough.
Booked: Matt Keane (81), Ronan Teahan (84).
Athlone Town: Enda Minogue; Haji Abdikadir, German Rodriguez, Noah Van Geenan, Aaron McBride (Oisin Duffy 46); Aaron Connolly, Mathew Leal Charles Mutawe (46); Adam Lennon (Matthew McCarrick 90+1), Patrick Hickey, Isaie Louis (Valerij Dolia 71); Frantz Pierrot.
Subs Not Used: Vladislav Velikin (gk), Matthew Baker, Osaze Irhue, Blake Ryan, Nazar Zubkov.
Booked: Mathew Leal (7), German Rodriguez (80).
Referee: Ian O’Keefe.
Attendance: 1,192
Extratime Player of the Match: Isaie Louis (Athlone Town)
