SSE Airtricity League First Division side Athlone Town progressed to the second round of the FAI Cup with a comfortable 5-0 defeat of amateur side Ballincollig AFC at CIT this evening. Two goals in six minutes from Ethanda Nkololo and Dragos Sfrijan
SSE Airtricity League First Division side Athlone Town progressed to the second round of the FAI Cup with a comfortable 5-0 defeat of amateur side Ballincollig AFC at CIT this evening.
Two goals in six minutes from Ethanda Nkololo and Dragos Sfrijan stunned their hosts after a good opening, and after a quick-fire second-half double from Rory Gaffey and Rob Spellman settled things before Conor Layng added the fifth, but Ballincollig manager Paul Doyle was looking for the positives.
“Overall we can't complain, the best team won on the day, and we have bigger fishes now with our own Munster Senior League Cup starting next Tuesday against Leeds. We have a young squad with plenty of 18 and 19 year-olds, so this can only be good experience to compete with a team of this standard."
In the 13th minute a strong run by Romanian Sfrijan down the left saw him square for the Frenchman to finish at the back post. Minutes later it was Nkololo with the cross, with Sfrijan winning in the air before reacting first to stick the rebound past 'Collig netminder Shane Hogan from close range.
The hosts could have found themselves further behind seconds later, with Sfrijan blasting over with only the keeper to beat, but at the other end it was Athlone goalkeeper who was thankful for the presence of Stephen Walsh to clear Gordon O'Meara's effort off the line having spilled a home cross, before an excellent save to deny Fionnan O'Donovan's follow-up made amends.
However, Gaffey profited from a good knockdown to end any hopes of a home comeback on the hour mark with a powerful drive, and moments later Spellman latched onto a direct ball to roll the fourth comfortably past an exposed Hogan.
The fifth was no surprise for a dominant Athlone, another long ball touched home by Layng to finsh off a comprehensive performance from the Midland outfit.
Ballincollig AFC: S Hogan; E Kenefick, C O'Shea, D Sweeney, C O'Neill, R Hogan; N Allen (M O'Mahony 83), G Moore (D Tobin 46); D Murphy, G O'Meara (J Hogan 67); F O'Donovan.
Athlone Town: I Labuts; L McCartan (O Folan 71), N Scullion, S Walsh, S McGrane; P Walsh (C Silva 52); E Nkololo, E Curran (C Lyang 72), R Gaffey, R Spellman, D Sfrijan.
Referee: D Keeler (Cork).
