Athlone Town To say that this has been a difficult season for Athlone Town would be a major understatement. The Midlands outfit have managed to gather only two points from their opening 17 games. In fact, their winless run now extends back as far as
Athlone Town
To say that this has been a difficult season for Athlone Town would be a major understatement. The Midlands outfit have managed to gather only two points from their opening 17 games. In fact, their winless run now extends back as far as the beginning of May 2017.
However despite their torrid results, there has actually been some signs of improvement of late. This is especially true considering they shipped a number of heavy defeats early in the campaign. Former manager Aaron Callaghan was replaced early in the season, and with Terry Butler in charge there have been some better performances, at least in a defensive sense.
Getting a couple of wins on the board would be heartening for what is a very young squad, and it goes without saying that going the entire season without recording a victory would be a major embarrassment for the League’s oldest club.
Mid-season rating: F
Despite the previously mentioned improvements, any club that fails to record a win at the half-way point of a season cannot be given a passing grade. This was always going to a transitional season for Athlone having recruited almost an entirely new playing squad in the off-season, but the results have been even worse than the most pessimistic predictions.
Best Player: Ger Smith
The centre-back has been an almost ever-present this season and has put in a number of solid displays. Smith is a no-nonsense defender, someone who organises a defence which quite often finds itself under major pressure. He has also formed a promising partnership with Bhashmil Nyakambiri in recent weeks which bodes well for the remainder of the campaign.
Most Promising Newcomer: Darcy Lawless
Having been introduced to the side after the first few games of the season, 17 year-old goalkeeper Darcy Lawless has been the brightest spark in this Athlone squad. The local youngster commands his area very well, and seems to have an old head on young shoulders. He seemed to fit into the senior side seamlessly and is very vocal with his defence, something many youngsters finding their way at the top level struggle with. Definitely one to watch for the future.
Area They Need to Strengthen: Strikers
While the defence has improved recently, the attacking play has not. No player in the squad has more than one league goal to their name this season. If Athlone are to see any improvement in results in the remainder of the campaign, a capable goal scorer must be recruited.
