Athlone drink toast to Home - January 26,
2001
Dundalk 0 Home Farm Fingal 1
Glasses were raised all over Athlone last night to Home Farm Fingal after promotion rivals Dundalk used up their game in hand without narrowing the gap on the leaders.
Farm's Tommy McGauley stepped up to take an 83rd-minute free kick and curled it round the Dundalk wall and into the net to ensure that Athlone stay six points clear at the top of the first division.
It's the first time Dundalk have drawn a blank in the league all season - and they can point the finger at David Ward, who missed a gimme just nine minutes into the game.
The Louth team knew it wasn't their night when Donal Broughan got a second yellow for lip with the second half just six minutes old.
But Padraig Gallogley nearly snatched a last-minute draw when he narrowly missed the target.
Dundalk: Connolly, Hill, Crawley, Broughan, Gallogley, Dunne, Flanagan, M Reilly, Ward, Hoey, Mullen
Subs: A Reilly for Ward 66, P Byrne for Mullen 80, Quinn for Dunne 85
Sent off: Broughan 51
Home Farm Fingal: Paul A Whelan, Hogan, Fitzgerald, McKeever, Paul Whelan, McGauley, Crowley, Skelly, Parsons, Hysa, Duggan
Subs: Honan for Fitzgerald 80, O'Connor for Parsons 85
Goal: McGauley 83
Referee: H Whoriskey (Donegal)