Galway United away to Athlone Town side that could be dark horses for the title

Galway United make the short spin across the M6 this evening for a trip to Lissywollen (7.45pm) to take on an Athlone Town side that put their title credentials on display last weekend when twice coming from behind to secure a 2-2 draw away to UCD.

Speaking at various times in the weeks up to the start of the new season, United manager John Caulfield paid particular mention of Athlone Town being a side that could be a dark horse for the title this season, given the investment the Midlands club has made in its squad in the off-season. Now he will get to see at first-hand just what kind of a shape the league’s oldest club is in for the campaign ahead.

“There are about six or seven clubs that all think they are going to go up this season, but there is only one guaranteed place. Athlone have invested heavily, and they will fancy themselves to win,” says the United manager.

“They had a great result last weekend against UCD, that 2-2 draw – the players that started that game for them, they are 11 new players, not one of them was at the club last season. Lots of clubs went out and invested in new players, and particularly Athlone, they’ve added a lot of quality,” says Caulfield.

The Midlands side secured a point in Belfield last weekend thanks to a goal four minutes into injury-time from Adam Wixted, and Caulfield name-checks him, along with the likes of Dylan Hand, who signed from Longford Town, James Doona (St Patrick’s Athletic), Kurtis Byrne (Waterford United), Stephen Meaney (Drogheda United), and former United player Kilian Cantwell (Bray Wanderers), as well as Micheal Schlingermann, United’s goalkeeper last season, as an example of the kind of quality Athlone Town have added for the 2021 campaign.

“Look at the Shelbourne side the last night – we played them in the cup last year, and only three players from that team were in the side last Friday. Every team has gone out and added a lot of strength, everyone is targeting that one automatic promotion spot,” he said.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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