2 v 2 
Longford TownVideo
Details
| Date | Time | League | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 September 2022 | 7:45 pm | LOI Men's First Division | 2022 |
Match Report
Athlone Town and Longford Town share points in exciting stalemate
Athlone and Longford played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in the final Midlands Derby of the season in Lissywollen tonight.
Adam Lennon and Jordan Adeyemo exchanged blows in the opening ten, before Thomas Oluwa netted on the brink of halftime to put the hosts into the lead. Aaron Robinson scored an absolute peach right after the hour mark, however, and the spoils were shared.
Athlone drew first blood just five minutes into the contest. A second ball from a corner bounced out to Aaron Connolly, who sent it back into the mixer. It missed Athlone and Longford alike, before falling to Lennon at the back post. The former UCD man chested it down and finished for the early lead.
Longford would hit back just three minutes later when a cross from the left was poorly dealt with by Athlone. It fell to Adeyemo, whose shot seemed to take a deflection before going in. Less than ten minutes gone and each side had a goal to show for it.
Enda Minogue in the home net would show some serious agility in the 27th minute after initially making an error. He flapped at a cross from the left and it fell to Darren Clarke. He took it as soon as possible, but the former Bohs man leapt across his goal to keep it even.
Before the goal came, Thomas Oluwa had a pair of chances in the 34th and 35th minutes. Firstly, after Gary Armstrong and Patrick Hickey set up a decent move, the former knocked it into Oluwa in the box. The Athlone target man took just too much out of it and the chances went awry.
A minute later he turned Mark McDonnell and Matthew Dunne some distance from goal. He bore down but insisted on using his left foot for the effort, which was easy for Colm Cox.
He would get his goal two minutes before half time however. Minogue caught a cross and threw a beautiful ball out, which Dunne went to deal with. Lennon put him under duress and won it back, eventually driving to the bye-line.
He took his time and put in a perfect cross, finding Oluwa at the back post for the tap in. Athlone took the lead into the break.
There weren't a host of chances in the second half, but a worldie from Aaron Robinson earned Longford the draw.
Right after the hour mark, Mark Hanratty mis-hit a cross that was cleared about as far as Robinson. From about 35/40 yards he picked out the top right corner with his left foot. A goal worthy of earning any team a result.
In the end, it was probably a fair result.
Timeline
| 34. Adam Lennon | 5' | |
| 8' | 16. Jordan Adeyemo | |
| 9' | Jordan Adeyemo Cristian Magerusan | |
| 9. Thomas Oluwa | 43' | |
| 46' | Matthew Dunne Karl Chambers | |
| 61' | 6. Aaron Robinson | |
| 34. Adam Lennon | 65' | |
| 66' | Darren Clarke Kian Corbally | |
| 66' | Ben Lynch Joe Power | |
| Gary Armstrong Jack Kavanagh | 74' | |
| Adam Lennon Daniel Dobbin | 88' | |
| Thomas Oluwa Matthew McCarrick | 88' | |
| 88' | Sam Verdon Brandon McCann | |
| Jack Kavanagh Valerii Dolia | 92' | |
| 95' | 18. Karl Chambers |
Past Meetings
|
(Round 25)
1 - 3LOI Men's First Division
Bishopsgate, Longford Longford Town 1-3 Athlone Town |
|
(Round 16)
1 - 2LOI Men's First Division
Athlone Town Stadium Athlone Town v Longford Town |
|
(Round 9)
2 - 0LOI Men's First Division
Bishopsgate, Longford Longford Town v Athlone Town |
|
(Series 14)
0 - 4LOI Men's First Division
Athlone Town Stadium Athlone Town v Longford Town |
|
(Series 5)
2 - 0LOI Men's First Division
Bishopsgate, Longford Longford Town v Athlone Town |
Ground
| Athlone Town Stadium |
|---|
| Athlone Town Stadium, Old Rail Trail, Garrycastle, Athlone East Rural Electoral Division, The Municipal District of Athlone — Moate, County Westmeath, Leinster, N37 N1F2, Ireland |
Full time.
Full time.
Chance falls for Joe Power at the back post to win it, but he slices it out for a throw. Abysmal.
Minimum of five minutes added on.
Verdon heads off with an apparent injury, doesn't look good. Hopefully it isn't too bad.
Oh my. Connolly emerges from the Athlone box and the ball definitely touches his hand, but the ref pays no mind. Longford seem aggrieved.
Athlone living on the edge here. Longford definitely smell blood in the water.
Ten minutes remain for a hero here.
Goal! Hanratty mishits a cross and it falls to Robinson, who smashes it into the top right corner from 35 yards with his left peg! Incredible goal!
Lennon nutmegs Ben Lynch and puts it on a plate for Oluwa at the back post. He mishits his effort, but Athlone have a corner.
Clarke tries a long range effort, but it's well wide.
Chance falls for Hickey in the box and he has it, but Cox makes a good save.
Back underway.
Half time.
Goal! A huge Minogue throw out is chased down by Lennon, who forces a poor touch from Dunne. He hits it low across the face of goal and Oluwa heads it in!
He has another chance, as he turns McDonnell and Dunne before driving at goal. Insists on using his left to shoot and makes it easy for Cox.
Athlone work a decent chance into the box, but Oluwa takes too much out of it and the chance goes awry.
Minogue flaps at a cross and it falls to Clarke, but as he hits it Minogue leaps across his goal and pulls off a good save.
It falls to Lennon and he tries one, but it's right into the hands of Colm Cox.
Connolly has another shot deflected just wide. From the corner, Lennon finds Hickey, but his glancing header is just over.
Hickey wins the ball off the Longford defence and plays it to Connolly. He works it onto his left foot and has a crack, but it's just wide.
Needless to say, it's been a lively opening ten minutes.
Goal! Longford hit back after a cross isn't cleared and falls to Adeyemo and he smashes it in!
Goal! An Aaron Connolly cross is missed by everyone and Adam Lennon is at the back stick to put it in!
We are underway.
Longford won the first two derbies of the season, but Athlone pulled off a 3-1 shock win last time out. That was also the last match Longford lost.
The teams are now in.
It's a wet and windy evening here in Lissywollen, so conditions aren't ideal for players or match goers. Nonetheless, both teams should put on a good show.
Hello and welcome to finalwhistle.ie for live coverage of today's LOI First Division encounter, the Midlands Derby between Athlone Town and Longford Town, I'm Seán Comber and I'll be updating you throughout.