Shannon Town maintained their unbeaten start to the Premier Division while Newmarket Celtic are snapping at their heels following another five star performance, Oliver Fitzpatrick recaps on the weekend action.
Maloney Garden Machinery Premier Division
Ennis Town A 2
Shannon Olympic A 2
Venue: Lees Road
Ennis Town and Shannon Olympic played out an entertaining draw at Lees Road on Sunday. Shannon Olympic had the better of the first half and went in front on 20 minutes when Wayne Ryan got on the end of a through ball from Deaglán McDonald and finished well.
McDonald went close to stretching the Olympic lead on 30 minutes after a good run and shot that narrowly missed the target. Ennis Town had their best chance of the half on 37 minutes after a good run and shot from Rory Brennan that forced Olympic keeper Jason Carmody into making a good save at his near post.
Brennan went close again on 38 minutes after narrowly heading over the crossbar from a well delivered corner from Ultan Shiels. One last chance for Olympic before half time when the broke quickly from the back and McDonald was denied by a brilliant save from Gerry Dullaghan who came off his line well to make the save.
Olympic started the second half well and McDonald should have scored on 46 minutes but was denied by a great block on the line from Kevin Hartigan. Ennis Town came more into it as the half went on and got back on level terms when substitute Conor Clohessy finished off a rebound after Carmody had made a good save from Collins. Ennis Town kept the pressure on and turned the game on its head when Rory Brennan scored with a shot from outside the box. Olympic never gave up and earned a deserved share of the points with a great finish from Ray Quigley from 25 yards.
Ennis Town A: Gerry Dullaghan, Ultan Shiels, Kevin Hartigan, Eoin Keenan, Steven Murphy, Steven Horgan, Jack Moran, Adrian Walsh, Rory Brennan, Joe Collins, Sean Collins. Subs: Conor Clohessy
Shannon Olympic A: Jason Carmody, Terry O’Donnell, Benjamin Cantillon, Rory O’Connell, Adrian Carew, Ray Quigley, Jason Regan, Wayne Regan, Deaglán McDonald, Wayne Ryan, Ryan Kelly. Subs: Dean Courtney for O’Connell
Bridge United A 5
Bridge Celtic A 1
Venue: LIT
Bridge United returned to winning ways in LIT on Sunday morning with a good victory over Bridge Celtic. United started very well and should have been in front in the opening stages with opportunities for Pewter, Barrett and McNamara all going close.
On 13 minutes the deadlock was broken when Maxwell got on the end of Tommy Barrett searching ball to calmly slot home. They doubled their lead on 21 minutes through a Kieran Quinlan penalty after Pewter had been fouled in the box. Celtic got back in the game on 33 minutes when Nicky O’Connell scored. The Sixmilebridge club started the second period strongly but had to wait until the 67 minute for their 3rd with Darren Murphy heading home from a Quinlan corner.
Substitute John Keogh made it 4 on 71 minutes with a very well worked team goal. The outstanding Eoin Guinan carried the ball out of defence before playing a one two with Pewter and then feeding Quinlan who squared to Keogh to finish. Fitzgerald completed the scoring on 84 minutes when he won the ball in his own half and with the Celtic defence all forward for a corner he carried the ball through on goal before calming slotting home.
Bridge Utd A: Paul Touhy, Jay Whyte, Eoin Guinan, Darren Murphy, Jonathan Downes, Tommy Barrett, Darragh Fitzgerald, Trevor Maxwell, Kieran Quinlan, Eoghan Pewter, Mike McNamara. Subs: Dan Larkin for Maxwell, Sean McDonald for Barrett, John Keogh for Whyte, Conn Agnew for Downes, Barry Downes for Quinlan
Avenue Utd A 1
Newmarket Celtic A 5
Venue: Roslevan
Newmarket Celtic chalked up their fourth victory in a row and kept the pressure on their rivals at the top of the table as they made the trip to Roslevan on Sunday and scored five goals also for the fourth time in a row.
There was little between the teams early on and the first chance fell to Newmarket and Brian Monaghan on 15 minutes when he hit the post with a left foot volley. Eamon O’Reilly went close for Avenue on 20 minutes from a set piece but headed narrowly wide.
David McCarthy had a good chance for Newmarket on 24 minutes but sliced a left foot shot wide of the target. Stephen Kelly put Newmarket in front on 30 minutes with a well struck right foot finish low past Barry Ryan in the Avenue goal after getting on the end of a Eoin Hayes corner.
Newmarket went 2 up before half time when Eoin Hayes scored from the penalty spot after Ryan was adjudged to have taken him down in the area. It was a tough call on Avenue as Ryan looked to have won the ball in the tackle. Ryan picked up a second yellow card for his protests and Avenue now had a mountain to climb.
The second half started with Eoin O’Brien going close with a header for Newmarket. Avenue got back in it when Jamie Roche scored after a well worked move for the home side. Newmarket restored their 2 goal advantage when O’Brien got on the end of a Ian Collins cross to the back post to finish well.
It was game over when David McCarthy scored a fourth for Newmarket with a great strike from 25 yards that flew into the top right corner. O’Brien wrapped up the victory for Newmarket before full time when he finished well from a well delivered cross from Darren Cullinan to leave it 5-1 to the visitors at the finish.
Newmarket Celtic: Rob Shier, Steven Carroll, Paddy Purcell, Stephen Kelly, Darren Cullinan; Brian Monaghan, Eoin Hayes, Seamus Lawlor, Eoin O’Brien; Davy McCarthy, Ronan McCormack. Subs: Ian Collins for Monaghan, Cathal Hayes for E Hayes.
Corofin Harps A 3
Shannon Town A 6
Venue: Corofin
Shannon Town A made the trip to Corofin on Sunday and came away with a good victory in a high scoring contest to keep their 100% record in the Premier Division after 4 rounds of matches. Star performer for the visitors on the day was Colin Scanlon who scored a hat trick. Kieran Hackett, Bryan O’Donoghue & Evan Barry also scored for the visitors.
First Division League
Lifford A 2-1 Turnpike Rovers
Lifford got the better of their local rivals Turnpike in a well contested derby at Cassidy Park on Sunday morning. Lifford had a great chance to go in front on 2 minutes from the penalty spot but Kieran Mahony was denied by Turnpike keeper Brian Mulhern. Lifford went in front when Gary McNaboe finished well after capitalizing on some hesitation at the back for Turnpike.
It remained 1-0 to Lifford at the break. Lifford started the second half well and got a deserved second when Scott Hennessy scored after rounding Mulhern and finishing into the empty net. Turnpike pulled a goal back through David McMahon but their cause was not helped when the lost keeper Mulhern to a red card for a professional foul on the edge of the box. Lifford were reduced to 10 men near the finish when Kieran Mahony also saw red but try as the might to the final whistle there was no way back for Turnpike as Lifford held on for deserved win on the day.
Lifford: Mike Fitzpatrick, Jack Devitt, John Maher, Anton Mannering, Eoin Murphy, Ethan Cronin, Kieran Mahony, Ethan McNevin, Dylan Ryan, Gary McNaboe, Scott Hennessy. Subs: Keith Shea for Ryan, Darren Daly for McNaboe
Turnpike Rovers: Brian Mulhern, Donagh Hassett, Graham O’Connor, Jason White, David Considine, Owen O’Loughlin, Sean McNamara, Sean Corry, David McMahon, Paddy Sherlock, David Smyth. Subs: Niall McMahon for O’Connor, Jason Hayes for O’Loughlin
Kildysart Celtic 5-3 Bridge Utd B
There was plenty of drama and goals in Kildysart on Sunday as the home side staged a great comeback in the second half to get their season up and running with victory over Bridge Utd.
Bridge had the better of the first half and went in front with a good finish from Jordan Downes. Right on half time Bridge were awarded a penalty after a foul on Downes and Pa McMahon made no mistake to give the visitors a good lead at the break. Kildysart had a great chance to get back in it after half time but Gerry Finn was unable to convert from the penalty spot.
Kildysart pulled a goal back on 65 minutes when Dermot Eyres scored. Pa Kelly scored the equalizer on 72 minutes. Substitute Ethan McCarthy scored 2 goals in quick succession on 79 and 83 minutes to put the home side in front. McMahon brought Bridge right back into it with 4 minutes left with a great finish. Damian Hill finished off the scoring for the home side in the last minutes with their fifth goal in this most entertaining game.
Kildysart Celtic: Paddy Breen, Andy Ryan, Dermot Eyres, Pa Kelly, Damian Hill, Keith O’Connor, Francie O’Reilly, Rory McMahon, Daryl Maxwell, Kieran Eyres, Gerry Finn. Subs: Ethan McCarthy, Christy Clancy
Newmarket Celtic B 9-0 Kilkishen Celtic
Newmarket Celtic got their league campaign off to the ideal start with an easy victory over a very under strength Kilkishen side at McDonagh Park on Sunday morning. The writing was on the wall early for the visitors. Newmarket put four up on the board before the half hour mark. Ciaran McCoy (2), Gary Collins and Seamus Considine were all on target in the first half.
After the break Newmarket kept the pressure on with Eoin Kelly scoring to make it five. Substitute Martin Mulqueen hit a spectacular volley to make it 6 before an injury to Brian Tierney forced him to don the gloves and go in between the posts. Mulqueen scored his second from the penalty spot after Michael Crosby was taken down in the box. Crosby and Shane Meehan completed the scoring for the home side before full time.
Newmarket Celtic B: Brian Tierney; Mark O’Malley, Eoin Kelly, Paudie Hayes, Brandon Cullinan; Kieran Crosby, Seamus Considine, Michael Crosby, Ciaran McCoy; Gary Collins, Shane Meehan. Subs: Conor Ryan for O’Malley, Martin Mulqueen for Gary Collins, Danny Conway for Crosby, Damian McAuley for Considine, Ryan Corry for Tierney
Moher Celtic 1-1 Coole FC
A Darragh Reilly strike midway through the second half earned Coole FC a deserved share of the points at Lahinch on Sunday.
Coole FC: Arek Mamala, Jake Farrell, Beano, Enda Craddock, Darren Egan, Rafa Mamala, Kieran Burke, James Cosgrove, Dave Cahill, John Cosgrove, Darragh Reilly. Subs: Sean Roche, John Regan & Fergus Tuohy
Mountshannon Celtic 2-4 Hermitage
Goals from Mikey Mahoney (2), Darragh Kerin and Matthew Kearney helped Hermitage to a good comeback victory after twice falling behind against Mountshannon Celtic on Sunday.
Second Division League Cup
Tulla Utd B 2-3 Rineanna Rovers
Two goals from Danny Sweeney and a strike from Darren Lindsay keeps Rineanna in the running for a place in the final of the second division league cup after a good away victory over Tulla Utd B at the Cragg on Sunday.
Third Division League Cup
Inch Crusaders 4-2 Shannon Olympic B
Inch Crusaders finished off their League Cup campaign with a good 4-2 victory over Shannon Olympic B at Lees Road on Sunday. Inch dominated the first half and went 1 up from a Sean Talty penalty after Ronan Grace was brought down in the box. Inch made it 2 on the half hour after great work from Brenno Enrique set up Leonardo who finished neatly to the bottom corner. It was 3-0 when Rory Killeen put Ronan Grace through on goal and he finished well. Inch went 4 up just after half time when Rory Killeen chased down a clearance from Ruairi Price and finished well. Shannon Olympic came more into it as the half went on and were awarded a penalty which was brilliantly saved by Horatio. Olympic scored two late goals but it was not enough to stop Inch getting the victory.
Inch Crusaders: Thiago Horatio, Mark Connellan, Sean Talty, Emmet Pyne, Eoghan Grace, Cillian Cregan, Ronan Grace, Brenno Enrique, Rory Kileen, Leonardo Gomez, Oran Killeen. Subs: Joe Carmody for Oran Kileen, James Kileen for Enrique