Home is where the heart is for Dean

DEAN Kelly has no regrets about his six-month tenure at Athletic.

The striker is back home in his native Dublin after his spell at Boundary Park, which included 15 first-team appearances — 12 from the substitutes' bench — with one goal arriving against Plymouth.

"I'm glad I got the chance to play abroad," Kelly told the Irish Herald.

"Not many lads from junior football get the chance to play at a level like League One in England, but being honest I'm happy to be back home now.

"It was a great experience. To play in places like Southampton and Tranmere was great for me, but I'm back in Dublin now and looking to the next stage of my career."


RAMPANT Athletic smashed EIGHT goals past Blackpool without reply to destroy the leaders of the North-West Conference of the Football League Youth Alliance.
It would have easily been double figures had the Tangerines 'keeper not produced a string of excellent saves.

"They were resting a couple of players, but we played brilliantly," said youth team boss Tony Philliskirk.

"We started on the front foot, we were aggressive and we passed the ball really well."

Matt A Carr opened the floodgates and two goals from Kyle Riley — the second of which was an outstanding individual effort — plus a pair from in-form Connor Hughes made it 5-0 at half-time.

Alex Parkes and Matty D Carr added two more before Ryan Burns rounded things off in style.

Athletic take on Rochdale in the quarter-final of the Lancashire Cup at Chapel Road on Saturday (11am).