Emeka Onwubiko has being released from his contract with Athlone Town. Speaking to the Westmeath Independent, Brendan Place cited training commitments as part of the reasons for letting the talented 19 year old go and also stated his belief that it was the right decision for all parties involved.

Saturday’s defeat to Limerick saw Onwubiko taken off after just 37 minutes as he endured yet another listless display. After an explosive start to the season he has, of late, exerted little influence on proceedings and Place is now on the hunt for some new faces.

Gary Murphy, the former Longford Town midfielder who had a spell on loan with the club in 2005, has joined along with former goalkeeper Tadhg Murphy which is sure to fuel speculation about the futures of Aaron Shanahan and John McGuinness.

New faces are a matter of urgency in many respects as Athlone bid to halt what has been an alarming slide in form. Last week’s victory in Kildare was followed by yet another poor display against Limerick. Wins have been hard to come by of late for this Athlone team but another visit to Kildare beckons this weekend and with it the chance of a decent FAI cup run to add to some excitement to a stuttering season.