- Athlone are the slight favourites at 3/2 to take home the points against Treaty United, who are 17/10 to win.
- Treaty have won 4 of the last 5 meetings between the clubs in the First Division 2026, drawing the other, but Athlone are on a 2-game winning streak.
- Treaty average 1.18 goals scored and 1.09 goals conceded at home in the First Division 2026.
Tight battle expected between two First Division 2026 mid-table sides
This fixture has been a happy hunting ground for Treaty United FC in recent seasons, with Athlone Town FC failing to win any of their last 3 away games against Treaty United. Tommy Barrett's side have won 4 of the 5 meetings between these sides in the First Division 2026, including a 0-0 draw at Athlone's home ground just 2 months ago. Athlone are on a 2-game winning streak across all current competitions, a 2-0 victory over Cobh Ramblers at home and a 3-0 walk over Midleton FC in the FAI Cup, but this will be a tough trip to Limerick.
Treaty are 9th in the table on 23 points from 23 games, 4 points and 2 places below Athlone on 27 from the same sample size. Tommy Barrett has been at the club since February 2021, but he still has his pragmatic, experienced bunch set up to suit his direct, limited system. Ben Feeney and Cian Curtis are good players to have in this system, as they both run the channels and finish well, so when Treaty do get the ball into the box, they usually make it count.
Treaty's home record of 4-3-4 is average, which keeps them in the fight at Markets Field, but Athlone's away record of 2-1-8 is even more shaky, with the visitors averaging just 0.55 goals scored and 1.36 conceded per away match in the First Division 2026. However, Athlone have won 2 of their last 5 games across all competitions (2 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat) so they may just be in better form than the table suggests. Treaty have won 2 of their last 3 matches across all current competitions, beating Kerry FC 2-1 and Finn Harps 1-0 before they fell at home to UCD in the FAI Cup.
Treaty Town can take home the spoils
The head-to-head record is very much in favour of Treaty United, who should have enough to take 3 points in this tight contest and the home advantage has us siding with the hosts as a live upset pick this Friday. Treaty have enough experience and structure to make this tight, as Athlone are a little more patient with the ball and will try to choke the midfield, while Treaty will try to force the play into the channels and hunt the second balls and long throws.
The odds suggest this should be a tight one, with the Under 2.5 goals market available at 83/100 and Both Teams to Score - Yes coming in at 7/10, so we're taking the better price on the home side here.
