Cork City's First Division lead was trimmed after a 2-1 defeat away to Athlone Town on Friday night. The loss, their second in a row, saw the leaders concede twice in the first half and fail to mount a second-half comeback.
Will Smith opened the scoring for the hosts in the sixth minute. Sean Maguire levelled for Cork City on 33 minutes, but Callum Cleary restored Athlone's advantage just four minutes later with a curled finish from the edge of the box. Barry Robson's team created no clear chances after the break.
Robson expressed clear frustration after the match. "Frustrated, it was pretty much a carbon copy of last week, total control of the game," the manager said. He added, "I think it's two poor goals defensively for us."
Cork City remain top of the First Division with 71 points from 34 games, but their recent form shows just one win in five. Harps are currently tenth in the standings.
