Athlone Town host Shelbourne in the SSE Airtricity League First Division at Lissywollen on Friday evening.
Last weekend’s seasonal opener ended in a disappointing defeat as Cabinteely’s smart start proved decisive, the Dubliners carving out a 2-1 win over the Midlanders. A splendid Marco Chindea goal gave Athlone some hope, but Cabinteely held on to claim the spoils.
An opportunistic Ben Hanrahan strike following a Michael Brown corner edged Cabinteely ahead as Athlone struggled initially. Brown was involved again creating Cabinteely’s second for Joseph Doyle, who struck a delightful effort to extend the Stradbrook outfit’s lead. Before the break, Chindea contributed a fine goal for the Midlanders, who came close to netting an equaliser after the restart. However, Val Feeney’s attempt went narrowly wide and Cabinteely held out.
Shelbourne were also defeated by a revitalised Cobh Ramblers as Evan Galvin bagged the only goal of the game at Tolka Park. The promising Ryan Robinson, Daire Doyle, Aidan Collins, and Cian Kavanagh are all part of a Shelbourne squad that will be keen to make an impact during this campaign.
