Athlone Town 1 Waterford FC 1
An injury time goal broke Athlone hearts but secured a share of the spoils for Waterford FC in their SSE Airtricity First Division clash with Athlone last night.
Keith Long started with the same team that put five past St Michael’s in the FAI Cup, but this was a different proposition as Athlone were well organised and threatened the Blues from the off.
The league’s top scorer Ronan Coughlan was well marshalled by Patrick Hickey, which secured the Athlone centre half the man of the match award, but there was little goalmouth action at either end until the half hour.
A cross field ball from the Waterford right back Niall O Keeffe was picked up by Jamal Campion Hinds and he rifled a right footed effort across Sam Sargent to the top corner for the lead for the home side.
The Blues should have been level in first half injury time but Ronan Coughlan was denied by a wonderful save from Enda Minogue.
A raft of changes after the hour mark saw an improved Waterford press forward looking for the equaliser and the upright denied the Blues four minutes from time when Cameron Cresswell floated a wonderful cross behind the defence for Christie Pattison whose diving header came back off the woodwork.
However, the equaliser arrived in the third minute of injury time when Cresswell picked up a loose ball and fired low past Minogue to secure the draw.
ATHLONE TOWN: Enda Minogue, Jack Kavanagh (German Fuentes ’46), Noah van Geenen, Daniel McKenna, Patrick Hickey, Frantz Pierrot (Dylan Gavin ‘90+4), Haji Abdikadir, Jamar Campion-Hinds, Matthew Leal (Donal Curtin ‘, Michael Peprah (Oisin Duffy ’89).
WATERFORD FC: Sam Sargeant, Niall O’Keeffe (Harry Nevin ’61), Kilian Cantwell, Drew Baker, Ryan Burke, Barry Baggley, Sam Perry (Romeo Akachukwu ’61), Connor Parsons (Cameron Cresswell ’73), Serge Atakayi (Christie Pattisson ’61), Roland Idowu, Ronan Coughlan.
Referee: Declan Toland (Roscommon).
