Athlone Town manager Terry Butler has said that he is looking forward to the challenge ahead after being given the job until the end of the season. Butler replaced Aaron Callaghan in the role, and was originally appointed on an interim basis. “I'm
Athlone Town manager Terry Butler has said that he is looking forward to the challenge ahead after being given the job until the end of the season.
Butler replaced Aaron Callaghan in the role, and was originally appointed on an interim basis.
“I'm really looking forward to the challenge, all the staff are. I think the players are up for it as well,” he said.
“As I said, we are going to take it one game at a time, UCD next week is going to be a big game.”
Athlone have endured a difficult start to the season, picking up only a solitary point in their opening 11 matches.
Even though the team’s performances have improved in recent weeks, results have been hard to come by.
The lack of goals has been of major concern, and Butler says that the club will be looking to bring in playing reinforcements in the near future.
“Hopefully come the window of opportunity, we will be in a position to add into the squad.
“Like every team, you are always looking for someone to score goals, I think we have been lacking that.
“I think defensively we have improved but unfortunately we are not scoring, there is a lack of goals so obviously we will be looking at the position.”
Their inability to be clinical up front was a problem once again on Friday night, as the team fell to a 1-0 home defeat to Drogheda United.
Despite the sides being relatively well-matched, a Chris Lyons goal in the 50th minute was enough to consign Athlone to their fifth consecutive defeat.
A Darren Kavanagh strike with the last kick of the game almost rescued a draw, and Butler believes his side have take major strides forward in recent weeks.
“At the end, if it went just three inches the far side we would be standing here saying it was a result.”
“It’s coming. We gave a few players chances tonight and they've taken them, we know what we have to do going forward.”
