Athlone back on track as Treaty suffer another heavy defeat
Athlone Town 7 Treaty United 0
Sean Comber
Athlone Town snapped a three-game losing streak with an emphatic 7-0 win over Treaty United in Lissywollen last Saturday evening.
Athlone led 2-0 at half-time thanks to a Gillian Keenan brace. In the second half, Dana Scheriff, Chloe Singleton, Scarlett Heron and substitutes Kellie Brennan and Hazel Donegan all got in on the act as Treaty United suffered another drubbing this season
The hosts controlled the first half without being all over Treaty, but got their reward in the 21st minute. Roisin Molloy got the ball out right and jinked her way to the byline, before digging out a good cross. Gillian Keenan met it and knocked it off the post and in to give her side a deserved lead.
Athlone continued to control the ball whilst only having half chances at best, but Keenan again stepped up to the plate to make it 2-0 before the interval. The former Treaty woman had a cross only half cleared and she came to meet it just inside the area, cracking it first time and finding the back of the net. A fine strike to send her side into the half with a deserved 2-0 lead.
Right before the hour mark, this one was definitely sealed. Athlone had continued to be in firm control and were rewarded when Madison Gibson pulled the ball back for her American compatriot Dana Scheriff who slotted it into the bottom corner.
The floodgates then opened. Three minutes later, it was 4-0 after Gibson lobbed it to the back post for Chloe Singleton, who rose highest and nodded it in.
Another three minutes later, a fifth was added when Gibson flicked a corner to the back post for Scarlet Heron to slot it in.
Substitute Kellie Brennan got in on the action five minutes later when a cross from Molloy wasn’t dealt with and it ended up with her being played through for a tap-in. Three minutes later, her fellow substitute Hazel Donegan added her name to the scoresheet after Eve Conheady was involved in the build-up.
Athlone’s record against Treaty is looking incredibly one-sided. In their last three meetings, Athlone have now won by a combined scoreline of 22-0, between this match, the 8-0 win in Markets Field earlier this season and a 7-0 win in Limerick last season. It’s fair enough to suggest that another big Athlone win will be the expectation whenever these two meet again.
Another hammering of Treaty should help Athlone to get their confidence back up, which will be needed next week against league leaders Peamount United. Treaty, on the other hand, will look to lick their wounds against Sligo Rovers.
Player of the match: Gillian Keenan had Athlone in a comfortable position going into the half thanks to her brace, with the second being an especially good goal, so she’s deserving of the award. A special mention should also go to Madison Gibson, who set up the three following goals to open the floodgates.
Athlone Town: Nyla Peterkin, Kayleigh Shine, Muireann Devaney, Gillian Keenan, Dana Scheriff, Chloe Singleton, Scarlett Heron, Roisin Molloy, Madison Gibson, Nausica Costantini, Julia Weithofer. Subs: Kellie Brennan for Keenan, Shauna Brennan for Shine, Eve Conheady for Singleton (63); Kate Slevin for Devaney, Hazel Donegan for Molloy (69).
Treaty United: Anne Marie Ulliac, Grace McInerney, Chloe Hennigan, Alannah Mitchell, Kelsey Wing, Jessica Heffernan, Aoife Mulkern, Kiara Kilbey, Cooper Lee Lane, Hailey Walsh, Cara Griffin. Subs: Katie Lawlee for Lee Lane (11 mins), Emma Deegan for Mitchell (37), Ruth McDonnell for Wing (46), Esra Kangal for Heffernan (73), Hannah Saidi for Walsh (73).
Referee: Eoghan O’Shea.