|  ATHLONE
TOWN Under-21's secured their place in the knock-out stages
of the eircom Under-21 League with an emphatic 7 - 1 win over
Mayo League in Saint Mel's Park on Tuesday evening.
Town took the lead after just 4 minutes, when Steve Feeney
knocked an Anthony Hayes free-kick back across the face of
goal, leaving Mark Sherlock with the easy task of side-footing
the ball home from close range.
Hayes and Feeney again combined for Athlone's second, when
the ex-Sligo Rovers man picked his spot with a free header
from Hayes' cross from the right.
Stephen Ryan picked out Ian Rossiter's great run down the
right just before the half hour mark. Rossiter was then through
one-on-one with the Mayo 'keeper, before rounding him and
walking the ball into the net.
It was 4 - 0 just after the half hour mark, when Noel McGee
finished home from inside the box when the 'keeper failed
to hold Sherlock's shot.
Sherlock grabbed his second of the night on 57 minutes when
he curled the ball around the 'keeper after Mayo failed to
properly an Athlone attack.
Anthony Hayes made it 6 - 0 with a precision free-kick on
62 minutes, before the visitors grabbed their only goal of
the game a minute later with the Town rearguard caught static
claiming for offside.
Noel McGee wrapped the scoring up on 66 minutes, getting
onto a ball from the impressive Hayes before rounding the
'keeper and finishing from a tight angle.
Despite starting with a handful of first team players, the
side also contained a number of last season's youth team with
Niall Scullion, Deccie Fallon, Shane Egan, Carmine Russo,
Serge Bakayoko and indeed Noel McGee all featuring. With Anthony
Hayes, Robbie Hamm and Stephen Ryan also starting, it was
an impressive display from the young home side.
ATHLONE TOWN: Danny O'Leary, Robbie Hamm,
Deccie Fallon, Steve Feeney, Stephen Ryan, Anthony Hayes,
Carmine Russo, Ian Rossiter, Mark Sherlock, Noel McGee, Dave
O'Brien. SUBS: Niall Scullion for O'Brien (58), Damon Kearney
for O'Leary (66), Shane Egan for Rossiter (66), Serge Bakayoko
(68).
REFEREE: John McLaughlin |
