Athlone and Wexford finish level as McGee is denied late winner

With just two minutes left on the clock at Ferrycarrig Park last Friday, ten man Athlone Town thought they had claimed a vital victory over fellow First Division strugglers Wexford Youths. Striker Noel McGee found some space and received the ball ten yards from goal. It was a major opportunity for McGee but he somehow crashed a thunderous effort off the underside of the crossbar. The ball bounced down on the goal line but Wexford managed to scramble it clear and any hope of either side emerging victorious from a rather dull contest completely disappeared. Athlone boss Dermot Lennon was under much pressure going into this game with the Town experiencing no wins in their previous six outings and lying just one spot above second from bottom Wexford and two points clear off bottom placed Kildare County. But, in truth, Athlone created the better chances, especially in the opening 45 minutes, and should have taken full points despite playing the closing 28 minutes with ten players. Substitute Johnny Mernagh, who was just three minutes on the pitch and had not touched a single ball, received a straight red card following an off-the-ball incident in the 62nd minute. Athlone, who showed five changes from their previous dismal league performance against Limerick 37, were coming up against a Wexford Youths side on a high after their Eircom League Cup semi-final victory over Premier Division Cork City the previous Friday night. But the visitors showed scant respect for their opponents during the opening 20 minutes. The Midlanders should have taken the lead as early as the second minute, when Colm Jinks broke inside the defence but his shot on goal was excellently saved by home "keeper Pa Doyle, but really Jinks should have found the net from ten metres. It was too early for Athlone Town to get too excited as two minutes later the home side"s 17-year-old attacker Danny Furlong brought the best out of "keeper Ciaran Kelly with a fine effort from fifteen metres. Following this opening spell, it was Athlone Town who gradually took control as Joey Maloney and Colm Jinks were dictating matters in midfield. Indeed, Maloney had a great opportunity of breaking the deadlock after just 19 minutes. Having beaten full-back Paul Rossiter, he cut in along the end line, but chose to shoot from an acute angle with "keeper Doyle getting an outstretched leg to block the ball away to safety. Had Maloney pulled the ball back across goal, Eric Lavine would have been left with the simple task of tapping home from two metres. Ironically, two minutes later Maloney was involved in another move that almost led to an Athlone goal. When the home keeper was penalised for carrying the ball outside his area, Maloney floated over an excellent free kick that was met by the head of Jinks, whose downward header was cleared off the line by Paul Rossiter, with Doyle well beaten. Following this let-off, Wexford began to come more into the game with Paul Murphy having a couple of attempts on goal blocked away to safety, while on the break Athlone spurned another great chance to take the lead. Maloney floated over a great cross from the right but Lavine, standing alone just five metres from goal, powered a downward header wide when he definitely should have found the target. While manager Lennon must have been happy with Athlone"s overall first-half display, their failure to break the deadlock against a rather defensive minded Wexford would have left him extremely frustrated as the game progressed. Five minutes into the second half, Maloney managed to create space with a neat piece of footwork but unfortunately saw his shot fly across the face of goal and just outside the left hand upright. Wexford Youths were beginning to show more of an attacking instinct after this, with Danny Furlong heading an Anthony Russell cross just wide after 52 minutes, while one minute later Des Hope managed to get his head in the way of a Richie Fitzgerald effort and deflect the ball away for what turned out to be a fruitless corner. The home side were now beginning to play some neat link-up football with Paul Murphy having a shot blocked by "keeper Kelly, but Danny Furlong fired the loose ball over the top. With both sides somewhat unfortunate in front of goal, a certain amount of niggly play crept into the game culminating in the red card for Mernagh, who was dismissed when the linesman drew the referee"s attention to an off-the-ball incident, leaving the Town now battling to save a point when for so long they looked capable of taking home what would have been three crucial points. Athlone "keeper Kelly was yellow carded shortly afterwards for time wasting. Wexford Youths went on the offensive for the first time introducing a number of attacking players but the Athlone back four was quite excellent, with Des Hope and Nigel Keady particularly prominent as they repelled a succession of attacks. Having successfully defended through a tense 15-minute spell, Athlone managed a series of late attacks that came ever so close to producing what would have been a dramatic winning goal. It was Colm Jinks who cut inside the Wexford defence before laying the ball into the path of McGee, who saw his rising shot rebound off the underside of the crossbar before eventually being cleared to safety. It was a great opportunity to snatch all three points which must have left Athlone"s players intensely frustrated as they made their way to the dressing room upon the final whistle. Wexford Youths: Pa Doyle; Keith Kearney; Anthony Russell; Conor Walsh; Paul Rossiter; Conor Sinnott; Gavin Doyle; Patsy Malone; Danny Furlong; Paul Murphy; Richie Fitzgerald. Subs: Gareth Wallace for Walsh (8 mins); Marty Kelly for Wallace (65). Athlone Town: Ciaran Kelly; Ian Rossiter; Robbie Hamm; Des Hope; Nigel Keady; Carmine Russo; Joey Maloney; Colm Jinks; Noel McGee; Eric Lavine; Jason McCartney. Subs: Johnny Mernagh for Russo (58 mins). Referee: Hugo Whoriskey.