Athlone Town ... 0 Kilkenny City ... 0Cup glory may still theoretically await either Athlone or Kilkenny, but after this poor quality encounter in St Mel's Park last night, not many sides will fear a third-round clash with the eventual winners.
In a frantic but disappointing opening half, the only clear-cut chances came in the first and last minutes of the half. Tony Tynan almost presented the visitors with an ideal start in the opening minute, but fired over from close range following a Jackie Mulcahy right-wing cross.
And on the stroke of half-time, Warren Parkes could only fire wildly wide after Kilkenny keeper David O'Neill has mis-cued his clearance.
Athlone finally created a bout of sustained pressure following the re-start and were denied by a Brendan Sweeney goal-line clearance when Davy Dowling's 51st-minute header seemed about to break the deadlock.
ATHLONE TOWN: Curran, Oliver, Carberry, Frawley, Dowling, Collins, Kenny, Parkes, Murphy, Kelly, Rushe. Subs: Devine for Parkes (64 mins); Clarke for Rushe (84 mins).
KILKENNY CITY: O'Neill, Donnelly, Ricard, M Andrews, D Mulcahy, Freeney, Tynan, O'Connor, N Andrews, J Mulcahy, Murphy.
Referee: Derek Toomney (Dublin)
