2020 Season Preview: Athlone Town

Manager: Adrian Carberry

Stadium: Athlone Town Stadium

Players in: Ronan Asgari (Galway United), Joshua Keane-Quinlivan (Galway United), Scott Delaney (Tullamore Town), Evan O'Connor (Longford Town), Adam Rooney (Galway United), Dean George (Tolka Rovers), Ronan Manning (Unattached), Evan White (Warrenpoint Town), David Brookes (Cherry Orchard), Scott Delaney (Willow Park), Aaron Myles (Glenville), Chris Reid (Cherry Orchard), Joel Coustrain (Shamrock Rovers), Harry Cornally (Unattached).

Players out: Kealan Dillon (Warrenpoint Town), Karl Fitzsimons (Wexford), Janabi Amour Jr (Wexford), Aaron Brilly (Leixlip United).

Extratime.ie Key Man: Darren Meenan

Entering into his 15th League of Ireland season, Meenan is one of the few stand out names at Athlone Town Stadium since joining the club for the 2019 season.

Meenan was an important part of Stephen Kenny’s squad when Dundalk won the League of Ireland Premier Division title in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and the FAI Cup in 2015. He’s also played in Europe for both St Patrick’s Athletic and the Lilywhites.

At a club that has to rely on inexperienced players with changes aplenty year on year Meenan being part of Carberry’s squad for this coming season is a major boon.

Extratime.ie One to Watch: Ronan Manning

The younger brother of Republic of Ireland under-21 international and QPR player Ryan, Ronan was highly rated by his former manager at Galway United Shane Keegan. So much so that he made his debut against Cork City in the Premier Division in 2017.



The 19 year old’s progress was halted the following season after Galway United were relegated. A season where presumably the youngster might have gotten even more game time never materialised and he departed at the end of 2018 to sign for Athlone Town— for the first time.

He appeared in on game for Athlone’s under-19 side last April before stepping away from football for the rest of the year.

The talented midfielder could still get his career back on track and the 2020 season having returned to the Midlands and this could be a huge opportunity for the younger Manning.

It will be particularly interesting to see if he makes the starting line up against his former club on the opening day of the season.

How they did last season:

League:



After three bottom of the table finished in a row Athlone managed some improvement to finish in eighth last season, although let’s not forget it would have been ninth only for Limerick’s retroactive points deduction.

They started the season looking strong when they recorded two wins in their first two games, against Wexford and Cobh Ramblers. These would amount to half of their ins for the season in the end, however.

Their last win would come in July. Having also beaten Bray Wanderers in March, still a vast improvement on the one win Athlone managed in the 2018 season.

FAI Cup:

There hasn’t been a real derby in the Midlands for a few years due to Athlone being such a weak force in the region, but it still must have stung to go out so early in the FAI Cup to their local rivals Longford Town.

3-1 was the final score in City Calling Stadium with a brace from Aaron Dobbs and a Joseph Manley goal seeing off Athlone despite the away side taking the lead through Kealan Dillon.

EA Sports Cup:

Athlone took Galway United into extra-time in the opening round of the EA Sports Cup after taking the lead through George Mukete in the opening ten minutes last March.

The Tribesmen had decent firepower to come off the bench and Conor Barry entered the fray and equalised in the 70th minute before another substitute, Vinny Faherty, headed the winner deep into the second half of extra-time.

What to expect this season:

Another season of struggle at the bottom of the First Division is on the cards for the Midlands club again this year.

With the club again relying on many young and inexperienced players it’s hard to see them making a huge impact in the division.

Their capture of a few talented young footballers from Galway United, Asgari, Keane-Quinlivan and Rooney as well as former Sheffield United and Shamrock Rovers player Joel Coustrain could point to improved fortunes on the pitch for the club.

That’s a lot of players that are still yet to prove themselves on the League of Ireland stage still and it’s no surprise that the bookies have given them the longest odds at a real challenge for this year’s First Division title.

 

Title Odds: 66/1

First game: Galway United (away).