Newmarket Celtic hit Sporting Ennistymon for six to move to joint top of the Maloney Garden Machinery Premier Division alongside Shannon Town.
By Jamesy Mc Conigley
Newmarket Celtic 6
Sporting Ennistymon 1
Venue: McDonough Memorial Park
Celtic established themselves into the game early on, Ian Collins may have thought his cross-field pass was overcooked but Ronan McCormack somehow flick the ball back across the six yard box for an unmarked Cathal Hayes to power home the opener.
Moments later, McCormack was involved again, Collins’ low driven cross was turned past the on-rushing Joseph Gallagher to double Celtic’s lead. Dominating in possession, Newmarket grabbed a third, Michael Leigh’s missed cued clearance found the waiting David McCarthy twenty yards from the opposition goal and he expertly arrowed a low driven shot past the cluster of visiting defenders.
In devastating form the home team scored again, A mix-up in the Ennistymon defence led to Garry Higgins rounding Gallagher and finishing from an acute angle. This was the former Athlone Town strikers first of the campaign since joining from Pike Rover in the January transfer window.
Mike O’Malley’s side lost Colin Ryan mid-way through the first half due to injury who was replaced by international star Eoin Hayes. Sporting created a chance as the first half drew to a close with Killian Malone testing Rob Shier.
With an uphill battle the visitors changed their approach and forced more players forward. The second half wasn’t littered with goals but still was entertaining for viewers and Newmarket restarted were they left off, another long ball over the defence found David McCarthy and he skilfully slotted the ball into the top right hand corner.
But Ennistymon didn’t surrender and were awarded as Seán McConigley rounded Shier and proficiently cut the deficit. Newmarket substitute Eoin Hayes was forced off due to an injury he picked up after clashing with a Sporting player. Towards the end of the encounter, the game began to stretch and both teams had more opportunities to attack.
Newmarket Celtic B travelled to Coole today, unfortunately on their arrival they were notified the game was postponed but this was beneficiary for their first team as Ciaran McCoy was able to travel back to Newmarket and round off a satisfying day with their sixth goal as Celtic move for the first time in the 2016/17 season top of the Maloney Garden Machinery Premier Division.
Newmarket Celtic: Rob Shier; David O’Grady, Seamie Lawlor, Paddy Purcell, Darren Cullinan; Ian Collins, Colin Ryan, David McCarthy, Ronan McCormack, Cathal Hayes; Gary Higgins. Subs: Eoin Hayes for Colin Ryan, Steve Carroll for Collins, Ciaran McCoy for Eoin Hayes, Paudie Hayes for Cullinan, Jason O’Neill for Higgins.
Sporting Ennistymon: Joseph Gallagher; Kieran Monaghan, Thomas McConigley, Michael Leigh, Michael O’Dwyer; Micháel Duffy, Eoin Brennan, Jamesy McConigley, Seán McConigley, Cathal McConigley, Killian Malone. Subs: Mark Burke for Malone, Patrick O’Dwyer for Brennan and Darragh Flynn for C McConigley.
All pics by Matthew Crowe
