Offaly players part of Athlone Town squad for European ties in Netherlands

Four Offaly players were part of the Athlone Town squad which suffered a 3-1 defeat against Icelandic champions Breidablik in a Champions League qualifier in the Netherlands earlier today (Wednesday).

The Offaly players - Aoife Murphy O'Connor, Emma Mooney, Isabel Ryan and Lucy Fitzgerald - were each unused substitutes in today's game, with the defeat ending Athlone's hopes of progressing to the next qualification stage of the Champions League.

Athlone's European involvement will continue on Saturday, however, when they will face either FC Twente or Red Star Belgrade at 12 noon in Enschede, Netherlands.

Victory in that game would qualify Athlone for the inaugural Women’s Europa Cup, UEFA’s new second-tier European competition.

The game against Breidablik today was scoreless at half-time but the Icelandic side then took the lead early in the second half. One of Athlone's big-name players, American Madison Gibson, equalised direct from a corner kick on 58 minutes.

There was little to separate the sides in general play, but two goals in quick succession - on 76 and 77 minutes - put Breidablik in the driving seat and left Athlone with an uphill task.

Aoife Murphy O'Connor and Emma Mooney are from Tullamore, with the latter a former Killeigh Schoolboys/Girls player who recently became the youngest player to score two goals in a Women's Premier Division game.

Isabel Ryan, from Birr, is a former Killavilla United player while Lucy Fitzgerald, from the Blueball/Mountbolus area, previously represented the Mucklagh Schoolboys/Girls Soccer Club.

Athlone's game against either FC Twente or Red Star Belgrade at 12 noon this Saturday (August 30) will be shown live, free-to-view, on the LOITV streaming platform.