🗞️ Match Preview | Athlone Town vs Dundalk FC

Dundalk FC
Oct 2
3 min read

📅 Date: Friday, October 3, 2025

⏰ Kick-off: 7.45PM

📍 Venue: Athlone Town Stadium

Dundalk make the trip to the Midlands tomorrow night knowing that victory could seal an immediate return to the Premier Division. The Lilywhites head into the clash on the back of a thrilling 3-2 win over UCD at Oriel Park last Friday, a result that restored momentum after the disappointment of losing by the same score line away to Longford Town the previous week.

With just three games left in the campaign, the picture at the top is clear. Dundalk sit first on 72 points, six clear of second-placed Cobh Ramblers, who host third-placed Bray Wanderers on the same evening. Should Cobh drop points and Dundalk secure all three in Athlone, the First Division title and automatic promotion will be wrapped up with two games to spare.

📉 Athlone’s Form

Athlone Town come into this game rock bottom of the table on 18 points, 14 behind Kerry in ninth. Their struggles have been well-documented, with their last victory coming all the way back on May 9th in a 2-0 away success over Finn Harps. Since then, they’ve gone 20 games without a win. Despite their poor form, they will be motivated to spring an upset and delay Dundalk’s title party.

⚔️ Previous Meetings

This will be the fourth and final meeting of the season between the sides. Dundalk edged the opening day at Oriel Park thanks to a Vinnie Leonard header in a 1-0 win, while the return game at Athlone ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Their most recent clash in August was one to remember for Dundalk, who stormed to a 6-1 victory at Oriel. Athlone actually struck first in that game, but the Lilywhites roared back with goals from Arubi, a Kenny double, Rohan Vaughan off the bench with two late strikes, and a stoppage-time finish from Keith Ward.

🗣️ Kilduff’s Thoughts

Reflecting on the importance of tomorrow’s fixture, head coach Ciarán Kilduff was keen to emphasize focus and hard work.

“Obviously, it’s our third last game of the season. We’re six points clear but we’ve a tough game coming up. The conditions are meant to be windy with a weather warning in place, and that will make it a difficult night irrespective of the opposition. Athlone are a team in transition, but they held us earlier in the season and our last trip to the Midlands, to Longford, wasn’t exactly a great night either.”

He added that his players are under no illusions about the task at hand.

“We’re going into this one with our eyes wide open. It’ll be a really tough game and we’ve a lot of respect for every team in this division. Athlone themselves have qualities, particularly in the attacking areas, and we’ll need to be ready. We had to battle hard against UCD and we’ll have to battle hard again this Friday night. You get nothing without that.”

Looking at the bigger picture, Kilduff urged his side to keep their concentration.

“We’ve come a long way this season. After Friday we’ll only have two games left, and it’s hard to believe how quickly the season has gone. We’re in a great position, but we need to respect this game for what it is. Hopefully, with the support of our fans, we can make it a memorable end to a memorable season. So, enjoy the game, Come On The Town.”

📋 Team News

Leo Gaxha and Sean McHale remain long-term absentees, with McHale recovering from recent surgery. Norman Garbett and Daryl Horgan are both major doubts for the trip, while Shane Tracey also continues to miss out. Mayowa, however, returns from suspension, and the rest of the squad are fit and available for selection.