Preview
The Big "O"Right, folks, The Big O is back and I'm telling you — this one's got the smell of goals all over it. Longford Town host Athlone Town on 16 October in the First Division, and if you've been following the numbers, this fixture is practically begging for a high-scoring afternoon.
Let's start with the head-to-head, because this is where it gets juicy. Across 25 meetings spanning seven years, both teams have found the net in 18 of those 25 games. In the four most recent meetings within the last 12 months, three of four saw both sides score. The 2–1 at Athlone in August, the 1–1 at Longford in May, and the 1–2 in October 2025 all delivered the goods. Only the 2–0 in April kept one side quiet. This is a fixture that produces goals, plain and simple.
Now look at Athlone Town's recent form. In their last five matches, they've scored in every single game — 11 goals in total, at 2.2 per game. They've also been on the receiving end, conceding 8 across those five. Four of those five saw both teams score. Their last 10 games have produced over 2.5 goals in 8 of 10. That's a side that's not just scoring, they're getting involved in open, goal-heavy football.
Longford Town at home have their own story. Over 20 home games, they've scored 32 goals (1.6 per game) and conceded 21 (1.05 per game). In their last five matches, they've scored 7 and conceded 7 — a 1.4 goals per game in both directions. Their last two games were draws at 1–1 and 3–3, which means both teams found the net in each. The 3–3 at Wexford on 2 October was a proper end-to-end affair.
The counter-argument? Well, Longford's home record on over 2.5 is split exactly down the middle — 10 of 20 over, 10 under. And their last home game was a 0–2 loss to Treaty United on 12 September, where they failed to score at all. Athlone's away record on over 2.5 is also 10 of 20. So there's a real chance this stays tight. But I'll be honest — the head-to-head data and Athlone's recent scoring output make that tight scenario the less likely one.
Key Points:
- Head-to-head: 18 of 25 meetings saw both teams score; 3 of the last 4 recent meetings were BTTS yes
- Athlone Town have scored in all 5 of their last matches, averaging 2.2 goals per game
- Longford Town's last two games were 1–1 and 3–3 draws — both teams scored in each
- Athlone's last 10 games produced over 2.5 goals in 8 of 10
- Longford's home record: 1.6 goals scored per game, 1.05 conceded per game
So here's my call. The Big O doesn't do nil-nil, and this fixture is screaming for goals. I'm going with both teams to score — yes. The head-to-head history, Athlone's relentless recent scoring, and the open nature of Longford's home games all point the same way. At 1.53, the price is there, and the evidence backs it up.