A Philip Gorman-inspired Kildare County came behind to secure the three points at Station Road tonight.
With County trailing to a first half Colin Fortune penalty, Gorman took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half, creating the equaliser before scoring the winner with a superb diving header.
He is now level at the top of the scoring chart with Philip Hughes and Shaun Williams on six goals apiece.
Athlone started the brighter and they deservedly took the lead just after the half hour mark, although it was a totally avoidable goal from Kildare's point of view.
Darren Stapleton needlessly nudged the impressive Davy Byrne
in the back and the referee was on hand to award the penalty-kick, which Colin Fortune converted by sending John Flynn the wrong way.
Dave O'Dowd had a night to forget in front of goal as he missed numerous chances. He headed a Colm Heffernan cross just wide after 35 minutes and the same pair combined in the 58th minute with O'Dowd again off target.
Three minutes later, Kildare were level. Stapleton played the ball up to Gorman whose superb first touch took him away from his man and gave him some room.
He crossed a delightful ball into the box where Stephen McCrossan timed his run perfectly to beat O'Leary from close range.
O'Dowd then produced the miss of the night, and possibly the season.
John Flynn saved well from Adrian Carberry's header after Fortune's corner but the ball fell for O'Dowd inside the six-yard box but somehow he slashed wide with the goal at his mercy.
Kildare settled the game with a stunning goal.
Stapleton received the ball on the halfway line and with the Athlone defence backing off him, he charged forward before hitting a stinging drive that was probably just heading wide but Gorman threw himself at the ball and diverted past O'Leary with the faintest of touches.
Athlone finished the game with four strikers on the pitch but despite four minutes of injury-time, they could not find an equalising goal although Flynn saved well from Mark Sherlock.
Kildare County: Flynn; L'Estrange, Stapleton, P Byrne, McDermott, Donnelly, McCrossan, Walsh (Clancy 79), Amond (Hanaphy 87), Gorman.
Athlone Town: O'Leary; Harty, McCarthy, Frawley (Sherlock 87), Hardy (Gavin 76), Carberry; Byrne, Fortune, Heffernan; O'Dowd (McGee 75), McTiernan.
Referee: D. Tomney.
