Last game of the season for Longford Town away to bottom of the table Athlone

In form Longford Town make the short journey to Athlone on Friday to play their last game of the season (kick-off 7.45pm) against the bottom of the table team who have been very poor this season by their standards.

 After last weekend’s games Athlone are adrift at the foot of the First Division with 20 points from 35 games played which leaves them 22 points behind the Town in what could be termed Athlone’s worst season for many years in senior football. 

There have been a lot of changes in Athlone in recent times with players leaving at an alarming rate but like the wounded animal this is a time to be wary as the Town looks to register five straight wins in the last five games of the season.

 At the moment there are rumours of a new management team which will be in place for Athlone in the coming season which will commence in February 2026. 

This season has seen many changes in Athlone with manager Dario Castelo leaving the club some months ago. By all accounts the new look board are going to put in a new manager and put a team on the field capable of a  promotion challenge.

The Town are on a magnificent run at the moment winning their last four games and all were against top five opposition. 

Wayne Groves brought in some good young players in the last couple of months and there is no doubt that they have made a massive difference on the field of play. Alex O’Brien, Sean Moore and Kian Moore along with Kyle Robinson have all come in and done well especially when we have some of our players out through injury. 

Central defenders Jamie Egan and Aaron Walsh have been out for long periods and they need lots of competitive games to get them back to full fitness.

 Now that the season is in its final week we hope that the Town manager Wayne Groves will start signing players for next season as there is no doubt that other clubs will be sniffing around our players. 

Good to see Dean O’Shea on the bench against Cobh and there is no doubt that he is one of the best defenders in the league. 

The form of Kian Moore in goals while keeping the club’s no 1 Harry Halwax on the bench means great competition for the coveted no 1 jersey. 

Stand-in captain Oisin Hand is playing superbly in the centre of the defence and Eric Yoro continues to shine. The big defender has improved so much in the last couple of seasons.

 Alex O’Brien has given the Town management a big boost in the vital midfield area of the pitch. Aaron Doran has chipped in with some vital goals this season and scored again in the clash against Cobh on Friday night.

The third and all important third goal came from Stefan Ugbesia who has the knack of scoring some very important goals this season. 

This young squad of players have shown that they are well able to hold their own against far more experienced players. 

Congratulations to Dundalk on their fine victory over Finn Harps on Friday night to clinch the First Division title in style and to former Town player Aodh Dervin who played a big part in the push for promotion this year. 

Aaron Doran has become one of the best midfielders in the league at the moment and his ability in taking free kicks has made him a marked man. 

When you look at the bench for the Cobh game you could see lots of experience despite many being very young. 

The two midland rivals met three times this season and I suppose the Town have the bragging rights with a win and two draws. 

The last meeting of the teams was at Bishopsgate and the Town won that game on a 3-2 scoreline. 

Aaron Doran scored twice with goals in the 25th minute and 73 mins from the penalty spot. Emmanuel James scored the winner while Williams and Gilmore replied for our near neighbours. 

The second game was played in Athlone at the end of April and it ended 1-1. Tetteh opened the scoring for the home side and Daragh Murtagh equalised for the Town in injury time. 

The first meeting between the teams was played in Longford on the 1st March and it ended all square on a 1-1 result. 

Ben Feeney gave the visitors the lead on the half hour mark but Aaron Doran scored from the penalty spot seven minutes later. 

We expect that a big crowd will travel over to Athlone on Friday night and let’s hope that we can continue our good form until the final whistle sounds. 

A special word of thanks to our loyal supporters who have travelled long distances this season and all are looking forward to next season.