Cork City – Athlone Town

Cork City turned their home ground into a fortress, thrashing Athlone Town 4‑1 to cement their position at the summit of the table with 68 points from 31 games. The result widened their already impressive goal difference to +35 (64 scored, 29 conceded), while Athlone’s tally slipped to a modest +‑3 after the defeat left them on 41 points in seventh place. The win also meant Cork City have now beaten Athlone three times this season, completing a clean sweep in their head‑to‑head encounters. With the gap to the chasing pack expanding, Cork City look increasingly likely to hold onto the top spot as the campaign heads into its final stretch.