Another Wexford FC lead wasted as Athlone Town earn draw with bizarre goal

Remarkably, ever-present goalkeeper Owen Mason hasn’t keep any clean sheets so far this season, and he won’t have fond memories of the giveaway equaliser that handed the strong-finishing midlanders a share of the spoils.

It had been an entirely different story in the opening half, with Wexford full value for their 2-0 interval lead.

The first goal arrived in the 19th minute, after the Athlone Town defenders were unsuccessful in two attempts to clear a long throw from the left by Cian O’Malley away from the danger zone.

It was left to the alert Mikie Rowe to pounce for his seventh goal of the season with an assured low finish, having tested Athlone netminder Enda Minogue with a decent effort on the hosts’ previous attack.

Thomas Oluwa brought the best out of the goalkeeper as Wexford looked to press home their advantage, but the corner that followed produced the desired outcome after a well-worked move.

Rowe turned provider, with his delivery from the left towards the near-post area met with a firm header by captain Ethan Boyle as he hit the net for the second time this season.

Wexford looked to have a strong base to work from, but they have been in similar positions many times in this campaign and failed to seal the deal.

And so it proved once again, as Athlone took over on the restart while attacking the Ferrycarrig end.

They were rewarded for a constant spell of pressure in the 52nd minute, as three successive corners ended on a high note when defender German Fuentes Rodriguez netted from inside the box to fill the visitors with hope.

However, the goal that earned them a share of the spoils was bizarre in the extreme.

It arrived in the 81st minute, when netminder Owen Mason completely lost his bearings while attempting to deal with a long throw from the right by half-time substitute Jamar Campion Hinds.

After misreading the flight of the ball, all he could do was divert it into his own net for a sloppy concession.

Mason did come to the rescue later with a save from Campion Hinds, but Athlone did most of the last pressing and Carl Mujaguzi almost grabbed the winner from a header.

In all truth, Wexford should have been out of sight even before their rivals’ first goal, because Thomas Oluwa had nodded a James Crawford cross inches wide in the 47th minute.

The striker later beat two backs to bear down on goal when the lead had been reduced to 2-1, but he couldn’t keep his shot down and it flew over to the relief of Athlone netminder Enda Minogue.

The outcome left Wexford players and fans alike with a lot to chew on over the holiday weekend, but the spirits were lifted with that battling point in Cork on Monday.

Wexford FC: Owen Mason; Reece Webb, Cian O’Malley, Seán McHale, James Crawford; Ethan Boyle (capt.); Mikie Rowe, Kian Corbally, Luka Lovic, Mark Hanratty; Thomas Oluwa. Subs. – Cian Curtis for Oluwa (76), Ben Lynch for Crawford (86), Darragh Levingston for Hanratty (86), also Alex Moody, Aaron Robinson, Carl Lennox, Kaylem Harnett, Brandon McCann, Oisín McDonagh.

Athlone Town: Enda Minogue; Oisín Duffy (capt.), Dylan Hand, German Fuentes Rodriguez, Brian Torre; Matthew Leal, Daniel McKenna; Armardo Oakley, Carl Mujaguzi, Gideon Tetteh; Dean Ebbe. Subs. – Jamar Campion Hinds for Duffy (HT), Aaron Connolly for Tetteh (HT), Jamal Ibrahim for Torre (HT), Shane Forbes for Mujaguzi (90+2), also Andrew Stuart-Trainor, Shaun O’Donnell, Divine Izekor, Brendan Lauder, Ciarán Nolan.

Referee: Lucas Keating (Cork).