Runaway SSE Airtricity Men's First Division leaders Cork City and second-placed Athlone Town played out a scoreless draw in Turner's Cross, where chances were few and far between.
The earliest roar of the evening came for Ruairi Keating and Sean Maguire during the warm-ups, with everyone on Leeside buzzing with excitement after the pair returned to the club this week.
Fifteen points separated the sides ahead of the game but Athlone travelled south with confidence in their recent form and also safe in the knowledge that they are the only team to have beaten Cork City so far this season.
Openings were scarce early on with Malik Dijksteel asking questions of the Athlone defence but unable to really put them to the test.
Despite having to soak up lots of early pressure, Athlone slowly grew into the game as the first half progressed and once they settled started to take the game to Cork a bit more but similar to Cork it was the final pass that was lacking.
Dijksteel who had been lively from the off had the best chance of the half to put Cork ahead on the stroke of half time but just couldn’t get his feet right at the crucial moment having gathered the ball brilliantly initially.
Axworthy didn’t know much about it but managed to bundle the ball away from the feet of Dijksteel at the crucial moment and avert the danger.
That was to be Dijksteel’s last contribution of the game as he was taken off at the break and replaced by Jack Doherty ahead of the second half.
Dean Ebbe had a half chance for Athlone on the hour mark and almost caught Cork napping against the run of play. Ebbe followed the ball over the top and took it down well right in front of goal but was snuffed out in seconds by Wade in the Cork goal.
Moments later Athlone should have taken the lead. A brilliant free-kick on the edge of the box from Aaron Connolly had Wade beaten but smashed back off the crossbar and into the path of Tetteh who got the rebound all wrong. A let-off for Cork with Athlone still probing.
The intensity began to rise as the game entered the last 15 minutes. Charlie Lyons forced a stunning save at full stretch from Axworthy in front of the Cork City faithful with a powerful header just inside the box.
Maguire was then introduced to the game moments later to rapturous applause around the ground and the chance to begin his return to Leeside with a winner late on.
Cork did push for a breakthrough and played all of the football on their terms but couldn’t find a goal with both sides having to settle for a point.
Cork City: Brad Wade; Charlie Lyons, Cian Coleman, Darragh Crowley, Evan McLaughlin; Cathal O’Sullivan, Sean Murray, Barry Coffey; Josh Fitzpatrick (Cian Murphy 74), Malik Dijksteel (Jack Doherty H/T), Ruairi Keating (Sean Maguire 75)
Athlone Town: Lee Axworthy Duggan; Brian Torre, Dylan Hand, Daniel McKenna (Noah Van Geenen 74); Aaron Connolly, Oisin Duffy, Alexander Byrne (Jamar Campion – Hinds 60), Gideon Tetteh; Dean Ebbe (Kyle Robinson 84), Leo Gaxha
UCD dug out a good 1-0 win against Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds.
Mikey Raggett got the only goal, finishing low past Jimmy Corcoran from just inside the box in the 36th minute. That strenghtened UCD's hold of third spot - they are now six points clear of the fourth-placed Seagulls.
Cobh Ramblers came away from Kerry with a 2-0.
An Andrew Spain own goal broke the deadlock four minutes before half-tme, and Brendan Frahill sealed it with a second goal in the 83rd minute.
Wexford boosted their play-off hopes with a 2-0 home defeat of Finn Harps.
Thomas Oluwa put them ahead in first-half injury-time, with an 89th-minute Darragh Levingston effort wrapping up a good win.
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