A look at Athlone Town ahead of the SSE Airtricity Men's First Division
Athlone Town come into the 2024 SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division after a rollercoaster journey in 2023 but with more fresh impetus after plenty of movement in the transfer window.
Portuguese Head Coach Dario Castello has seen last season’s top scorer Frantz Pierrot depart for Drogheda United but has kept the services of key players such as Jamar Campion-Hinds and Aaron Connolly.
With Noah van Geenen, Daniel McKenna and Enda Minogue retained too, the strong core from last year remains in place with some new additions to help improve on last season’s fifth place finish.
Having run Waterford close in the Play-Offs, the ambition will be to reach the Play-Offs again this year and maybe even have a tilt at the big prize and a return to top flight for first time since 2014.
Two unknowns have arrived from the US in Gabriel Padilla and Roscoe Rubinstein who will be both hoping to use the opportunity to impress in the Midlands while Dean Ebbe and Jarlath Jones are the biggest signings that Castello has made in the off season as Jones returns to Athlone from Drogheda United.
Jones played at underage level for both Dundalk and Shelbourne before making the step up to first team football, joining Athlone in July of 2022.
Jarlath made his senior debut for Athlone as a substitute in the Sports Direct Men’s FAI Cup tie against Drogheda United before going on to play every minute in Athlone’s last nine games of the season.
He scored his first senior goal on the final day of the season, netting a fine free kick away to Waterford at the RSC.
Striker Dean Ebbe arrives from Gibrlatar side Manchester 62 and returns to Athlone after a career that has ebbed and flowed between the likes of TNS and Crusaders.
Athlone Town fans have every right to be hopeful going into the new season after spells last year when they were in excellent form at times and despite falling off towards the end of the campaign, they know they will have every capability to go for a promotion push in 2024.
Last season - 5th in the SSE Airtricity Men's First Division
Head Coach - Dario Castello
Key Player - Dean Ebbe
