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Over The Years

Athlone Town vs Bray Wanderers Preview

Thursday, 24 June 2021 23:13

By Robbie Fahy @RobbieFahy

There's been a change of fortunes since the sides last met.

Athlone Town welcome Bray Wanderers to Lissywoolen tomorrow possibly yearning for a trip back to the seaside. 

When the sides did meet at the Carlisle Grounds in April they were unbeaten and joint top of the table, now the seagulls arrive on the return journey ahead of their hosts in the standings and smelling blood. 

Athlone have only won twice in two months and having developed an unwanted recent habit of conceding late goals. Points evaporated late on against Cork, Galway and UCD as a result and the causes are difficult to assess. 

Is it a lack of concentration? fitness? personnel? communication? or a combination of all four, only Adrian Carberry will know. 

A penny for his thoughts this Friday night as his much vaunted attacking options at the outset of the campaign are now badly struggling to make an impact in the opening exchanges. 

The Town have managed just three goals in the first-half of their previous seven games and all of those came against UCD and Galway. 

You can't play for 45 minutes and expect to win at this level.

They'll also have to make at least one change from their preferred starting XI as Dan McKenna serves a one game ban for an accumulation of five yellow cards. 

For all the negative stats above they're still very much in the playoff hunt as the old American sports analogy rings ever true in the League of Ireland First Division.

Any given Friday. 

Athlone Town Stadium, 7.45pm

Referee: Michael Connolly
Assistant 1: Darren Carey
Assistant 2: Philip Harrsion
Fourth Official: Oliver Moran

 

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