REPORT: SSE AIRTRICITY MEN’S FIRST DIVISION ROUND 32
Athlone Town 0-0 Kerry FC
Kerry FC ended their long weekend on the road with a trip to the Midlands on Monday night to take on Athlone Town for the final time this season.
Kerry FC wanted to get back to winning ways after Friday’s defeat in Dublin, whereas Athlone Town were looking to win their first game at home since the fourteenth of March. It was a ninth versus tenth on the evening as Longford Town’s big win against league leaders Dundalk on Saturday saw them rise above the Kingdom in the league standings. A win for Kerry FC would see them go back to eighth and ahead of Longford on goal difference.
Kerry FC manager Colin Healy made five changes to his side that lost in Dublin on Friday night. You might say it’s a weakened side, but on the other hand, it was possibly the strongest bench Kerry FC has seen in quite some time. Darragh Foley made his first start for Kerry FC on the night off the back of his first appearance as a half-time substitute on Friday.
First Half
From the outset, the match had the feel of two evenly matched sides testing each other’s mettle. The opening ten minutes brought little in the way of clear opportunities, though Athlone registered the first corner of the evening. Chris McQueen was alert at the back for Kerry, dealing confidently with the delivery to clear his lines. For all the early possession exchanged between the teams, neither could land a decisive blow in the opening stages.
Kerry responded with their first corner midway through the half. Arran Healy, lively as ever, swung in a teasing ball, but Athlone defended it well and cleared the danger. That moment encapsulated much of the first half: both sides earned half-chances, but defensive discipline prevailed.
The game sparked into life in the twenty-sixth minute when Darragh Foley was called into serious action for the first time. Martin Scally unleashed a strike from distance, only to be denied by the Kerry shot-stopper, who dealt with the effort calmly. Moments later, Athlone’s Dean Williams nearly capitalised on a long ball over the top. He found himself in a promising position but failed to connect properly, leaving Foley to smother the threat without fuss.
As the half wore on, the midfield battle remained tightly contested, with neither side willing to cede control. Athlone looked to exploit direct passes into their forwards, while Kerry worked to build patiently through their midfield trio.
Three additional minutes of stoppage time were signalled at the end of the half, but neither side was able to break the deadlock. At the interval, it remained goalless.
Second Half
The second half exploded into controversy almost immediately. Just a minute after the restart, Athlone were awarded a penalty in puzzling circumstances. A long ball into the box appeared to deflect off of Ronan Teahan’s head, but the referee judged it to have struck an arm. The decision left Kerry’s players and manager Colin Healy visibly frustrated, yet Athlone had their chance to seize the lead.
Up stepped Gilmore, only to be thwarted by Foley, who dived to make an excellent save. To the disbelief of the travelling supporters, the referee ordered a retake, citing an infringement. Gilmore placed the ball once more, but Foley produced an even more remarkable stop the second time, preserving parity and underlining his growing reputation as a reliable presence between the posts.
The incident seemed to galvanise Kerry. Far from retreating under pressure, they grew into the half with renewed belief. Healy made a bold triple substitution and in the fifty-third minute, introducing Joe Adams, Daniel Okwute, and Oran Crowe for Robbie Cleary, Finn Barrett, and Ronan Teahan. The changes injected fresh energy, particularly in attack, where Okwute’s physicality and clever touches caused Athlone problems.
Athlone threatened again just past the hour mark, when a corner was swung dangerously on top of Foley. Amidst the scramble, the Kerry keeper not only cleared but also won a free out to relieve pressure. It was yet another sign of Kerry’s increasing composure as the game wore on.
Cian Brosnan replaced Sean McGrath shortly afterwards, and Kerry nearly created a breakthrough. Okwute, showing strength and invention, flicked the ball cleverly into the path of Arran Healy, but the pass just ran too far and was smothered by Athlone goalkeeper Andrew Stuart Trainor.
Athlone’s Daniel McKenna found himself in the referee’s book in the seventy third minute, and his indiscipline would ultimately cost his side late in the contest. Before that, however, Kerry handed a debut to young midfielder Luke Doolan, who replaced the tireless Arran Healy in the 83rd minute. Doolan almost made an immediate impact, glancing a header from a corner narrowly wide with his very first touch in senior League of Ireland football
As the match ticked into the final minutes, Kerry continued to push. Okwute came close to stealing victory when his shot from inside the left side of the box hit the side netting in the eighty-ninth minute, much to the relief of the home supporters. With four minutes of stoppage time signalled, the tension inside the ground was palpable.
In the third minute of added time, Athlone’s evening took a further blow. McKenna, already booked, picked up a second yellow card and was sent off. The dismissal came too late, however, for Kerry to capitalise, and the referee’s whistle confirmed the stalemate.
Kerry FC had two very tough games on the road this week and now look forward to being back at home on Friday night as they contest Treaty United in the final Munster Derby of the season for the Kingdom.
Athlone Town Team: 13. Andrew Stuart Trainor, 4. Daniel McKenna (RED CARD ‘90), 5. Dylan Hand, 6. Jason Folarin Oyenuga, 7. Aderinsola Abdul-Lateef Adewale, 9. Dean Williams, 17. Conor Quinn, 26. Billy Gilmore, 28. Martin Scally, 29. Reece Webb (C), 32. Adam Lennon.
Subs: Lee Duggan, Kelende Abdine Jr Thiam, Noe Baba, Bobby Brett, Oisin Duffy, Gideon Tetteh, William Smith, Colm Doyle.
Kerry FC Team: 40. Darragh Foley, 3. Sean O’Connell, 5. Christopher Mcqueen, 6. Carl Mujaguzi, 7. Sean McGrath (C), 8. Ronan Teahan, 14. Robbie Cleary, 19. Daniel O’Connor, 23. Finn Barrett, 29. Ewan Lee, 35. Arran Healy.
Subs: Matthew Connor, Oran Crowe, Joe Adams, Daniel Okwute, Luke Doolan, Luke Palmer, Kevin Williams, Ryan Perez, Cian Brosnan.