Athlone put the brakes on Cork

SSE AIRTRICITY PREMIER DIVISION:

John Caulfield’s men enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 win when they last visited the Midlands in March but Athlone’s form has improved immensely since that time and arguably they were the team who were most deserving of the victory last night.

Cork opened very brightly and could have found the net in the second minute through John O’Flynn, who neatly intercepted Mark Hughes’s sloppy lateral pass and bore down on goal from midfield. His shot from the right side of the penalty area was well saved by Ryan Coulter, but that was a rare foray forward for Cork as Athlone enjoyed the lion’s share of possession for the remainder of the first half.