A town built on historic stories of AC Milan travelling to plough through a muddy St. Mel’s Park in 1976 and European Cup ties in the 1980s has a new fairy tale to celebrate.
After Athlone Town women cruised through their first ever Champions League tie.
Róisín Molloy’s brace of goals just before half-time broke Cardiff City’s meagre resistance and set up a crucial tie against ŽNK Agram (Croatia) on Saturday; also at Athlone Town Stadium.
Victory there and Athlone would go into a four-team section of the second qualifying round, with group stage football on offer for three of the four clubs.
Based on this swashbuckling win, the reigning league champions will feel that anything is possible.
1,916 supporters packed into Athlone Town Stadium for this tie and the home contingent scarcely had a moment of concern as they controlled the tie from start to finish. Athlone took the lead through captain Izzy Groves in the 15th minute.
Athlone controlled the game throughout
Goalkeeper Megan Plaschko was never tested as Groves and Hannah Waesch controlled the midfield sector and allowed little or no pressure on their back four. Whereas, wingers Madison Gibson and Róisín Molloy feasted on the combination of endless possession and flat-footed Cardiff defending.
Three early spilled crosses from goalkeeper Ceryn Chamberlain hinted at where Athlone needed to attack their visitors. Both Molloy and Gibson wasted no time in hammering home that advantage.
Several chances were missed but Groves showed the composure that some of her colleagues lacked to float the ball over Chamberlain on the quarter hour mark, capitalising on Molloy’s dancing feet and simple pass.
Molloy, a former Sligo intercounty footballer, turned finisher for two goals before half-time, finishing off one Gibson cross with a close-range toe-poke and the second with a decisive header.
Waesch joined the party with a precise strike inside the left-hand post early in the second half and with the pressure now firmly lifted, Athlone could afford to drop the tempo, run the bench and still easily cruise to what was a comfortable and historic victory for the current league leaders.
Athlone Town: Plaschko; K Brennan, Shine, McNally, S Brennan (Murphy O’Connor 79’); Waesch; Molloy (Ryan 79’), Rice, Groves (Slevin 69’), Gibson (Mooney 74’); Brady (Donegan 69’).
Cardiff City: Chamberlain; Owen (Long 57’), Jenkins, Evans, Price (Perrott 69’); Walklett, Evans (Daly 79’); Cook, Billingham, Barry (Olden 57’); Curnock (Bowen 79’).
Referee: KM Jensen (Norway).
