Superb performances from the front three of Shelbourne saw them make light work of strugglers Athlone Town at Tolka Park on Friday night. Shelbourne were far better than their opponents from the off as they looked to stretch an Athlone side devoid o
Superb performances from the front three of Shelbourne saw them make light work of strugglers Athlone Town at Tolka Park on Friday night.
Shelbourne were far better than their opponents from the off as they looked to stretch an Athlone side devoid of any goal threat. As the first half wore on, it looked like only a matter of time before Shels would hit the front, and they duly did so in the 20th minute when James English was denied twice by Nathan Murphy in the Athlone goal, only for O'Sullivan to eventually scramble across the line from two yards out.
Just 10 minutes later, Shels were two goals to the good after Adam Evans found space at the back post to head a deep cross past the hapless Murphy. It got worse for Athlone before the half was out with Evans squeezing his second under the body of Murphy from English's cross, before Josh Hogan was forced from the field late on with a bad looking injury to his right knee.
If the first half ended badly for Athlone, the start of the second would bring them no relief, with O'Sullivan side-footing home English's cross four minutes after the restart.
Evans completed his hat-trick nine minutes later when he showed great hunger to get ahead of his man and toe English's cross past Murphy. Shelbourne's top scorer was not about to be upstaged, however, and after earlier missing two great chances to grab his third, he eventually joined Evans on the hat-trick list when he smashed home a penalty after English was bundled over in the box. O'Sullivan struck again from the spot on the stroke of full-time after Smith was adjudged to have fouled English in the box for the second time.
The latter was hoping he would get to take this one but O'Sullivan once again over-ruled him - much to the distaste of English and the home fans.
