Preview: Athlone targeting Champions League breakthrough
Athlone Town v Cardiff City, Athlone Town Stadium, 7.30pm (available to stream on LOITV)
Athlone Town will attempt to make a little bit of Champions League history this week as European football returns to the Midlands for the first time in 42 years.
Colin Fortune was a young boy in the stands when Standard Liege came to St Mel's Park for a European Cup tie in 1983; tonight, he leads the women's team into battle against Cardiff City hoping to write another chapter in the club's proud history.
A nephew of the famous O'Connor brothers - Turlough, Padraig and Michael - Fortune was reared on tales of Athlone glories.
He has been sounding the rallying cry over the last few days as he looks to guide Athlone past Cardiff; if they prevail tonight, they'll host Croatian champions Agram in Saturday's Round 1 final. Win that one and Athlone would become the first Irish side since Peamount United (in 2011) to progress to Round 2 of the Women's Champions League qualifiers, where they could potentially meet the likes of Manchester United and Inter Milan.
That would be a major achievement for Athlone, but it will not be straightforward.
In March, Cardiff won their third Adran Premier League title in a row, and then beat Wrexham 3-1 to lift the Bute Energy Welsh Cup and complete the double.
Iain Darbyshire's side are dangerous at setpieces, thanks in large part to the lethal deliveries of full-back Ffion Price.
With Cardiff still in pre-season, Athlone should be sharper, but Darbyshire is confident his charges are coming here well prepared.
"Athlone are a really good side," he said. "We've watched a lot of their games. They're mid-season, which presents a different challenge for us in trying to get up to their physical level and trying to get into the same type of rhythm as them.
"That being said, I feel like we've prepared in the best way we can."
Things could have gone off track at Athlone last winter when Ciarán Kilduff left to manage the Dundalk men's team after winning the league and reaching the FAI Women's Cup final, but former army sergeant Fortune has done a fine job, keeping most of the squad together and embellishing it with the quality additions of Izzy Groves and Kelly Brady.
Fortune is hopeful Brady and Madison Gibson are okay for tonight after they both came off during last week's draw against Treaty United. Groves is a bigger concern - she hasn't featured since last month's FAI Cup defeat of Terenure Rangers.
"We're assessing them. They're massive players," said Fortune
"If the guys are available, brilliant. You want them players available, the experience they bring, but if they're not, we've other players ready to come in.
"We'll get behind whatever 11 players are on the pitch - it's not even the 11, it's about the squad, it's about the 24, 25 players we have."
Brady is particularly confident she'll be okay. The New York-born Republic of Ireland Under-19 international has been a revelation since arriving in January, and is banking on a partisan support, with well over a thousand tickets sold.
"My mom's father is from Kinvara, Galway and my dad is from Castleblayney in Monaghan," said Brady. "My dad and my family have sponsored a bus to send down some girls from Blayney Rovers, just a small club in Castleblayney, to hopefully come down, the girls or whoever wants to watch the game.
"I think there's a group of 60 of them going. And then family from Galway and stuff making their own way down - not taking up spots on the bus though!
"We have a lot of talent in our team and that helps everyone out. I've loved Athlone, got myself a little job here (as a barista in a cafe). My family has visited a bunch of times, and they love it too. It's great."
This is Cardiff's third Champions League campaign and they have yet to win a match, or even score a goal. However they have been steeled by past experiences and will fancy themselves in Lissywollen.
For Athlone, it's a genuine opportunity. Last year, Peamount got to the Round 1 final, where they lost 1-0 to Osikjek in Croatia. That game was played in sweltering September heat. Conditions tonight will be mild and overcast, while the importance of a boisterous home crowd can't be overstated.
This will be tight, but it's winnable for Athlone, and represents a big chance to rekindle memories of famous old European feats.
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