Details

Date Time League Season
21 May 2021 7:45 pm LOI Men's First Division 2021

Match Report

Smart Athlone super against Cobh

Some quick Athlone Town passing moves put Cobh Ramblers to the sword, at Lissywollen this evening. The Home side did well to come from behind to win 2-1.

Killian Cooper opened the scoring for the Rams, with a well-placed left-footed shot.#

After a dull spell, the game fired into some life. Derek Daly drilled the ball into the top corner over the top of Sean Barron, with what looked like a cross.

The comeback was complete as James Doona pounced on a parried shot to tap the ball home.

It was the home side that would dominate the ball in the opening stages, but there wasn’t a lot of final third product for all the possession.

This would come back to bite Adrian Carberry’s men, as Ian Turner put a ball into the box. Energetic midfielder Lee Devitt headed the ball back across from the left, and Cooper finished to put the Rams up by a goal.

Devitt nearly doubled the scoring when he deflected a cross just past the near post. Thankfully for the Home side, they got in at half-time only down by a goal.

There needed to be some extra energy and tempo from the Town as the second-half wore on. There were signs of some fight as a well worked break progressed into the box and Doona saw his powerful shot saved. He wouldn’t see a second opportunity wasted.

After some pushback from the Rams, Athlone pushed forward, with the ball at the feet of left-back Derek Daly.

As the number three stepped forward unmarked outside the box, he shaped to cross, and belted the ball toward the Cobh goal. This caught Barron off his guard and the ball dipped into the opposite top corner.

With confidence now flowing for the Lissywollen outfit, they pressed on for a winner. It would come, as a shot from Shane Barnes was parried into the path of Doona, who was free as a bird to slot the ball into a vacant portion of the goal.

After closing out the final minutes, this marks the end to a poor run of form for Athlone and Carberry, they can get back on track and push up the table. For Stuart Ashton and Cobh, the bad times roll on with four losses in a row.

Athlone Town

16Micheál Schlingermann Goalkeeper
3Derek Daly 13 Defender 69'
4Daniel McKenna Midfielder
6Killian Cantwell Defender
7Adam Wixted Midfielder
11Stephen Meaney 28 Midfielder
14James Doona Midfielder 83'
19Tumelo Tlou Defender
19Brandon McCann 10 Midfielder
21Jack Reynolds 8 Midfielder
21Dylan Hand Defender
1Kayleum Rice Goalkeeper
5Scott Delaney Defender
8Jamie Hollywood 21 Midfielder
10Kurtis Byrne 19 Forward
13David Brookes 3 Defender
15Jonny Carlin Defender
18Oisin Duffy Midfielder
24Tristan Noack Hofmann Defender
28Shane Barnes 11 Forward

Cobh Ramblers

1Sean Barron Goalkeeper
2John Kavanagh 20 Defender
3Darryl Walsh Defender
4Lee Devitt Midfielder
6Charlie Lyons Defender 76'
7Ian Turner Midfielder
9Killian Cooper Forward 15'
11Conor Drinan 12 Defender
15David O’Leary Midfielder
16Darren Murphy 18 Forward
17Cian Murphy Defender
13Gavin Ryan Goalkeeper
5Ben O’Riordan Defender
10Jake Hegarty Forward
12Naythan Coleman 11 Defender
18Martin Coughlan 16 Midfielder
19James McCarthy Defender
20Kevin Williams 2 Defender
22Corey Chambers Goalkeeper
  • Full-time: Athlone Town 2 - 1 Cobh Ramblers

  • 90'

    4 added minutes.

  • 87'

    Athlone look like a different team now. It's amazing what a bit of confidence (and some goals) can do.

  • 82'

    Athlone are 2-1 up! Doona finishes into an empty net after the ball rolls free from a Barron save.

  • 76'

    Charlie Lyons is in the book after complaining to the Referee.

  • 74'

    Coughlan is on for Cobh.

  • 74'

    Murphy is off for Cobh.

  • 70'

    Brookes is on for Athlone.

  • 70'

    The goal was Daly's last action as he comes off.

  • 69'

    Goal Athlone! Derek Daly scores a sensational goal if he meant it! The left-back drills a cross over the top of Barron and into the top corner from a tight-angle outside the box.

  • 64'

    Barnes is on for Athlone.

  • 64'

    Meaney is off for Athlone.

  • 63'

    Town are looking slightly improved, but there's still something missing. All it takes is one moment though.

  • 57'

    Conor Drinan is off.

  • 57'

    Coleman is on for Cobh.

  • 57'

    McCann and Reynolds are off for Athlone.

  • 57'

    Byrne and Hollywood come on for Athlone.

  • 54'

    Doona should score! A good Athlone move ends up with the right-winger driving a shot on goal. It's straight at Barron though, and the Rams 'keeper parries it away.

  • 53'

    Killian Cooper gets the ball after Devitt makes a tackle. He's clearly confident after his first-half goal, and has a long range effort. It goes just over the bar.

  • 49'

    Derek Daly has a go from a free-kick, and Sean Barron has to be on his toes to get across and tip the effort wide.

  • 47'

    Conor Drinan twists and turns, and whips a cross towards the back stick, unfortunately for the Rams no one can get on the end of it.

  • 46'

    And we're back underway!

  • Cobh have simply made more with the possession they've had. The Town have been poor despite dominating the ball in the early stages, after going behind there was no reaction. Devitt and Drinan have been stand out performers for the Rams.

  • Half-time: Athlone Town 0 - 1 Cobh Ramblers

  • 45'

    Drinan powers a shot on goal just before the half-time whistle, it smacks the crossbar. Schlingermann was beaten all ends up.

  • 43'

    Good period of pressure approaching half-time from Athlone as the Town have a string of corners.

  • 39'

    Kevin Williams comes on in Kavanagh's place.

  • 37'

    Kavanagh will be coming off for Cobh, it looks like an ankle injury has forced him off.

  • 36'

    Meaney has a fantastic chance to score after Doona chipped the ball into the box. It looked like he would certainly score, but Barron gets across well to hold onto the ball.

  • 33'

    Drinan gets the ball out of his feet in the box, but in dives Hand to make an important block.

  • 29'

    Athlone have been pedestrian since going behind, they're really struggling to break down this well-organised Cobh team.

  • 24'

    Lee Devitt nearly doubles the Rams lead as he meets a cross from the left. His attempt goes inches wide. Athlone are playing a dangerous game at the back, they've looked very shaky.

  • 21'

    Wixted has a shot go just over. There hasn't been much of a response from Athlone, even if they have had a lot of the ball.

  • 15'

    Goal Cobh! It's out of nowhere! A run down the right and a whipped cross is headed back across by Devitt. Killian Cooper strokes the ball home with his left foot.

  • 12'

    Cobh have been dreadful in the opening 12 minutes, they really need to up their game.

  • 8'

    Doona picks up on the ball after a poor pass from Cobh, his strike is well saved by Barron.

  • 5'

    Athlone definitely looking the sharper of the two sides in the opening exchanges. They've fizzed the ball around nicely, not a lot of final third composure though.

  • 2'

    Tumelo Tlou has the first positive moment on the overlap for Athlone. He whips the ball into the box, but there's no one there to meet it.

  • 1'

    And we're off!

  • Team news for Athlone: There's two changes to the side that lost last time out, as McCann and Reynolds come in for Byrne and Hollywood.

  • Team news for Cobh: Darren Murphy and Darryl Walsh come in as Coleman and O'Reilly drop out.

  • Interesting news coming out of Cobh in the past days. A partnership with English Premier League club Burnley. This could help The Rams attract some high quality talent in future, with a view to moving players on to the Premier League if they develop.

  • Hello and welcome to Final Whistle's coverage of Athlone Town vs Cobh Ramblers. I'm Jon Parkin and I will be doing the coverage for tonight's game.

Past Meetings

(Series 12)
2 - 1
LOI Men's First Division
Athlone Town Stadium

Athlone Town v Cobh Ramblers

(Series 3)
3 - 2
LOI Men's First Division
St. Colman's Park

Cobh Ramblers 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

A master's journalism student at Birmingham City University. Jon Parkin has done interviews with numerous people from across the English football pyramid. He has also written for website My Old Man Said for over a year and a half.