U17's Concede late Equaliser in Athlone   31/08/2015

Athlone Town 2-2 Mervue Utd (Airtricity U-17)

Mervue Utd's U17's conceded a very late equaliser on Saturday afternoon as Athlone Town produced a battling performance to take a point from the game when it look like Ollie Neary's side had done enough to take all three points.

Played in front of a healthy crowd on the main pitch at Athlone Town Stadium, the home side equalised in the 94th minute with a well struck shot from midfielder Joe Carmody to deny Mervue a third win in four games.

Athlone took the lead in the 8th minute when Kaelyn Thompson shot home from well outside the box, past the outstretched arms of Mervue ‘keeper Dara Doherty.

Colm Lynch had to be alert in the 22nd minute, and he came out of his box well to clear ahead of the onrushing Adam Murphy.

A minute later Town almost doubled their lead when Thompson’s free-kick took a deflection that took it just the wrong side of the left post. From the resultant corner kick from Carmody, Oran Murphy just failed to turn the ball in at the near post.

The home side had a great chance to extend their lead just before the break when Thompson’s free into the box pinged around but neither Callum O’Brien nor Nathan Poland could poke the ball home.

The visitors almost got on level terms just after the restart as Dara Mulgannon was inches away from connecting with a ball in from the right.

The same player did bring the sides level in the 53rd minute when his low shot from the right crept in at the near post.

Carmody went on a good run through the middle minutes later with the ball eventually making its way to Jonathan Moloney. Unfortunately his shot from the left corner of the box was put over the bar.

Aidan Coyle almost put the visitors into the lead in the 56th minute when his quickly taken free-kick from the halway line almost caught out Colm Lynch, but the ball just cleared the bar.

Mervue had claims for a penalty turned down by referee Kevin Ronan in the 66th minute after a clash between Lynch and Colm Walsh O’Louglen as they both went for a cross.

A sustained period of Mervue pressure was rewarded in the 70th minute when substitute Fionn Curran tapped the ball home from close range after some nice play down the right.

Athlone had a great chance to draw level after in the 76th minute when O’Brien’s back post header was cleared off the line, with the woodwork coming to Mervue’s rescue form the rebound.

Conor Layng headed over the bar with just 4 minutes remaining, before O’Brien forced Doherty to push his volley out for a corner.

When that came to nothing, it looked like Mervue had weathered the storm and would leave with all three points.

However, the Athlone youngsters never gave up and were rewarded in the 94th minute when Carmody shot home low and hard from the edge of the box, out of the reach of Doherty.

ATHLONE TOWN: Colm Lynch, Adam O’Connor, Callum O’Brien, Evan Fahy, Nathan Poland, David Fortune (C), Oran Murphy, Joe Carmody, Brian Malone, Kaelyn Thompson, Jonathan Moloney. Subs: Conor Layng for Murphy (59), Luke Kelly for Malone (59), Conor Lowry for Moloney (59), Oisin Kelly for Fortune (67), Kieran Colclough for Thompson (72).

MERVUE UNITED: Dara Doherty, Ronan Asgari, Michael Whelan, Eoin Folan, Aaron Moran, Aidan Coyle, Dara Mulgannon, Tommy Molloy, Adam Murphy, Ronan Manning, Colm Walsh O’Loughlen. Subs: Fionn Curran for Murphy (63), Christopher Carey for Walsh O’Louglen.

REFEREE: Kevin Ronan

Report courtesy of www.athlonetownfc.ie 





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