It’s hard to call it a slide when a side has been as stagnant as Athlone Town. It must have been with a heavy heart that the likeable, genuine, Mick Cooke had to agree with Athlone’s chairman John Hayden, that his time at the midlands club was over.
It now falls to Keith Long to resuscitate a season that appears devoid of life and hope. Long and his new side will face Bray Wanderers this weekend. To add drama to the significance of the game, Long faces a side he played for and managed in Bray. Inaugural points against his former employers would be quite the start.
However this is a considerable task considering the bounce the Bray side will be feeling following last Friday’s victory over Dundalk. A second-half David Scully header meant that Stephen Kenny’s highflyers suffered the distaste of defeat for the second time this season.
It was the teams of the season in the Premier League and Championship that saw deserved plaudits for the high performing Séamus Coleman and Andy Reid. But another Irishman to shine in his division is Bristol Rovers midfielder John-Joe O’Toole. The former Watford player has suffered a dip in form lately but his previous performances and 13 league goals saw him highlighted as one of the league's most productive players.
Leon Best against France in 2009 ©INPHO/Donall Farmer
Another Irish midfielder who is in form is Blackburn Rovers’ Ian Judge. The Dubliner is currently on loan at Brentford and has been a large part of the sides successful promotional push this season. Judge has been impressive since his loan move began in January and has scored six goals in twenty one appearances. Based on his comments to West London Sport it’s clear where he hopes his future to lie.
“I hope they can agree to either bring me here permanently or another loan – anything just so long as I can come back here next season. I’ve loved my time here. The boys and the club are great and I love being in London.
“I will probably go back to Blackburn ready for pre-season and then see what happens. I don’t want to go back there and be a bit-part player again.”
One person who was a bit-player at Brentford was former Ireland international Alan Kernaghan. Having become the first former Republic of Ireland player to have a coaching role at Glasgow Rangers, he then joined Brentford’s coaching set up in 2012. It might have been only for the last twenty five minutes of a pre-season friendly but at 46 he made a substitute appearance for Brentford last summer.
Another Irish, Blackburn Rovers player, on loan is Leon Best who is having a revival of sorts at Sheffield Wednesday who he joined on a months loan in February but his considerable impact has seen the Irish international kept on until the seasons end. Wednesday are now safe from relegation and sit in 16th.
One Championship side who are definitely on the way down a division are Yeovil Town and part of their Irish contingent is Everton loanee Shane Duffy. The one time Foyle Harps defender has been one of the sides highest performers and could finally see his breakthrough into the Everton first team next season on his return; particularly as the Goodison Park squad will be stretched next season with European football returning to both sides of Liverpool.
